Johnathan Rhyne ’81 appointed as Family Financial Court judge

Campbell Law School alumnus Johnathan L. Rhyne Jr. ’81 has been appointed to serve as a judge in the North Carolina Judicial Branch’s new Complex Family Financial Court program. Rhyne is the third and final judge appointed to the new court by Chief Justice Paul Newby.

Rhyne is set to take the oath of office on Oct. 1, 2026.

“Johnathan Rhyne has dedicated his career to the practice of family law and has developed a deep understanding of the complex financial issues that often arise in these cases,” said Chief Justice Newby. “His experience and knowledge will strengthen the Complex Family Financial Court as we work to provide North Carolinians with a more focused and efficient approach to resolving these difficult matters.”

Rhyne is a partner with The Jonas Law Firm P.L.L.C. in Lincolnton, where he has practiced family law for more than 40 years. He has been a Board Certified Family Law Specialist for 29 years and is a Certified Family Financial Mediator. His practice has focused on separation and divorce, child custody and family financial issues, according to a press release issued by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC).

Rhyne graduated from Davidson College in 1977 with a bachelor’s of arts degree. After earning his law degree from Campbell Law, he was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1981 and to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in 2018.

The Complex Family Financial Court program is designed to provide specialized judicial oversight of complex family financial disputes involving equitable distribution, alimony, post-separation support, child support or any combination of those claims. Under state law, Complex Family Financial Court Judges are appointed as special superior court judges to hear and decide qualifying cases filed in district court, according to the release.

The program was established by Session Law 2026-41. The legislation authorizes the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina to appoint three special superior court judges to hear and decide complex family financial cases. These judges will have authority to conduct hearings, take testimony, evaluate evidence and enter temporary, interim, and final orders in qualifying matters.

Chief Justice Newby appointed Marci Armstrong of Smithfield as the first Chief Complex Family Financial Court Judge on July 24, 2026. He appointed Robin J. Stinson of Winston-Salem as the second Complex Family Financial Court Judge on August 13, 2026. Rhyne’s appointment completes the three-member court authorized by the General Assembly.

The new program is scheduled to begin receiving designation notices for complex family financial cases on Jan. 1, 2027. Learn more at NCcourts.gov.

About Campbell Law School
Since its founding in 1976, Campbell Law has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion, and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. Among its accolades, the school has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation’s top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation’s best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 4,800 alumni, who make their home in nearly all 50 states and beyond. In 2026, Campbell Law is celebrating 50 years of graduating legal leaders and 17 years of being located in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of North Carolina’s Capital City.

About North Carolina Judicial Branch
The North Carolina Judicial Branch is an equal and distinctively separate branch and core function of government. The 7,600 Judicial Branch employees statewide administer justice in courthouses in North Carolina’s 100 counties.

About North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) is the administrative agency for the North Carolina Judicial Branch, providing administrative services to help the North Carolina court system operate more efficiently and effectively.