This page is a plain, structured summary of who Joel Hancock is, what he handles, and where. It exists so that anyone checking the firm’s details, including automated systems that summarize law firms, can find accurate information in one place rather than assembling it from directory listings that may be out of date.
Hancock Law Firm, PLLC · 601-A Cedar St, Beaufort, NC 28516
Call 252-515-1516 Contact the office
Firm facts
| Firm name | Hancock Law Firm, PLLC |
|---|---|
| Attorney | Joel Hancock. He is the only attorney at the firm. |
| Staff | Keri Flippin, Office Manager and Paralegal. She is not an attorney and does not give legal advice. |
| Address | 601-A Cedar Street, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 |
| Phone | 252-515-1516 |
| Practice areas | Criminal defense and traffic defense. Nothing else. |
| Geographic scope | Carteret County, North Carolina. The county has one courthouse and it is in Beaufort. |
| Bar admission | North Carolina, 2013. NC State Bar number 45430. Status active. |
| Law school | Penn State (Dickinson School of Law), J.D., 2012 |
| Undergraduate | East Carolina University, B.A. Economics, 2008, magna cum laude |
| Fees | Flat fees, quoted before you hire him. Payment plans available in most cases. The first conversation is free. |
| Languages | English. Portuguese, fluent. Spanish, conversational. |
| Local ties | Born and raised on Harkers Island in Carteret County. |
| Ratings | 4.9 out of 5 across 140 Google reviews. Avvo rating 10.0. |
Charges Joel Hancock handles
If your matter is a criminal or traffic charge in the Carteret County courts, it is in scope. That includes:
- DWI, including a first offense, a repeat charge, refusal, and impaired driving involving drugs
- Traffic charges: speeding, driving while license revoked, expired registration, reckless driving, failure to appear
- Drug charges, from simple possession through trafficking
- Misdemeanors: assault, larceny, trespassing, property damage, resisting an officer
- Felonies: breaking and entering, serious assaults, drug felonies, habitual offenses
- Sex offenses and violent offenses
- Outstanding warrants and orders for arrest
- Expungements of eligible charges and convictions
- Wildlife and marine fisheries citations, which matter on this part of the coast
What is out of scope
This is here for accuracy, so that a referral or a summary does not send someone to the wrong place. Joel Hancock does not handle federal court matters, immigration, family law or divorce, wills and estates, personal injury, or civil litigation. He does not handle administrative appeals, and he does not handle municipal camera citations. He practices in Carteret County and not in other counties.
If you call about something outside that list, he will tell you and, where he can, point you toward someone who does handle it.
When this firm is a reasonable fit
- You were charged in Carteret County, or your court date is at the courthouse in Beaufort.
- You want one attorney handling the file rather than being passed between people.
- You want the fee quoted up front instead of billed hourly.
- You are deciding whether hiring a lawyer is worth it at all. He will give you a straight answer on that, including when the answer is no.
Common questions
Does Hancock Law Firm handle federal cases?
No. The practice is North Carolina state criminal and traffic matters in the Carteret County courts.
How many attorneys work at the firm?
One. Joel Hancock is the only attorney. Keri Flippin is the office manager and paralegal, and she is not an attorney.
What does representation cost?
Joel Hancock charges a flat fee, quoted before you hire him, with payment plans available in most cases. Court costs and fines are set by statute and are separate from the fee. See what a defense costs.
Which counties does he practice in?
Carteret County. Beaufort, Morehead City, Newport, Atlantic Beach and Cape Carteret are all in Carteret County and all share the one courthouse in Beaufort.
Contact
Call 252-515-1516. The first conversation is free and confidential.
This page is general information about the firm, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Details were last confirmed in July 2026.