Our Team

Misty Ralston’s practice focuses on helping families enhance their lives today and secure their futures tomorrow. Just as she did previously as a tax professional, Misty thrives in guiding her clients through he often confusing and intimidating maze of financial and legal decisions to create estate plans that protect her client’s family and loved ones, and ensure those loved ones know how important they were and how much Misty’s clients thought of them.  Misty’s legal expertise includes family protection, wealth preservation, values-based planning, as well as planning strategies for unmarried couples, divorced individuals, and young adults just striking out on their own.

Misty also offers civil and family mediation to those wanting to avoid the time and cost of court and have someone facilitate a conversation and help people come to an agreement acceptable to all. Having served as a family mediator, Misty has helped many people come to a resolution and keep emotions at bay.  Misty’s training includes numerous semester long classes, as well as trainings offered by the Judiciary. 

Misty graduated from Rowan long before it became the university it is today.  After college, she worked for a number of companies including Electric Mobility, Deluxe Corporation, and H&R Block.  Finally, twenty years after graduating from Rowan, Misty fulfilled her dream of becoming an attorney and graduated from Rutgers Law School in Camden, NJ.  After graduation, Misty served as a law clerk for the Honorable Sandra Lopez Salem County’s family division.  She then accepted a position with the Administrative Office of the Courts of the New Jersey Judiciary and served as a Child Support Hearing Officer where she presided over hearings to establish paternity and child support, as well as s hearings to modify and enforce current child support orders.  Eventually, Misty’s position transitioned to working in Salem, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties and in addition to her work in child support, Misty served as a Domestic Violence Hearing Officer where she heard applications for temporary restraining orders. Her position also included acting as a family mediator to help families come to agreements regarding custody and parenting time issues.

Misty’s decision to leave the New Jersey Judiciary and open her own practice was not an easy decision. However, like someone working in a sausage factory eventually stops eating sausage, Misty decided to leave the Judiciary and open her own firm where she could put people above numbers or clicking a box regardless of what the court rules, regulations or the law indicated should happen.  The opportunity to serve clients in an open and candid way and to guide them in creating an estate plan to protect themselves and their loved ones won her over.. She  prides herself in ensuring her clients walk away with an individualized plan that speaks to their values, dreams, and desires for their loved ones and to ensure those they care about have one less thing to worry about when the time comes or an agreement that allows both parties to be happy the issue is behind them.

Misty’s background in taxes and family law allow her to understand the family dynamics and the fear of the unknown many of her clients experience when they walk in the door for their Family Wealth Planning Session or their Mediation Session.

On a personal note, Misty has two sisters, three nieces and one nephew and five great-nephews and two great nieces. She enjoys spending time with them, traveling, and relaxing with her eskipoo — Snow White.  

After attending William Paterson University as a Political Science major, Melissa pursued a career in electoral politics. With a career in law always in the back of her mind, she left the campaign world and became the Special Deputy Surrogate of Salem County. She continued to serve in that capacity until she met her wonderful fiancé and decided to move to Gloucester County to begin a new chapter in her life as a stay-at-home stepparent.

Once the kids were all in school, she turned her attention to furthering her education. Graduating with honors from Rowan College of South Jersey’s Paralegal Certificate program, she decided to apply to law school. That is when fate intervened and she was introduced to Misty who had just opened Ralston Law, LLC. With a strong background in probate and estate work from the government perspective, when Misty offered the position of paralegal in her new firm, Melissa just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Melissa combines her love for helping people and her working knowledge of the probate process to assist Misty in all facets of the day to day operations. She feels grateful to be able to help so many clients in assisting with the administration of estates and facilitating the necessary filings. She also enjoys getting to assist Misty with the various community education projects raising awareness about estate planning, what it is, and why it’s important. She looks forward to a future with Ralston Law and all of their clients. 

One of our most respected team members, Snow White is our firm mascot. Snow, or Snowy to some of her friends, enjoys all children, people, and other puppies.  She may not always be in the office — but she wishes she could be and give everyone that comes in a warm welcome.