{"id":398,"date":"2026-05-19T18:06:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=398"},"modified":"2026-05-19T18:06:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:06:23","slug":"this-charlotte-divorce-lawyer-decided-to-start-hosting-matchmaking-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=398","title":{"rendered":"This Charlotte divorce lawyer decided to start hosting matchmaking events"},"content":{"rendered":"

Somehow, after 25 years of guiding people through failed marriages \u2014 plus enduring her own divorce \u2014 Nicole Sodoma<\/a> still describes herself as a \u201cmarriage-loving divorce attorney.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Lancaster County would add another 1,500 homes in latest subdivision proposal<\/a><\/p>\n

So much so, in fact, that the founder of Charlotte-based Sodoma Law<\/a> earlier this year launched \u201cFresh Start Social,\u201d<\/a> a mixer aimed at giving divorced and separated adults a chance to meet other people navigating similar chapters of life. The second event is scheduled for Wednesday night in Southend.<\/p>\n

And yes, at first glance, the idea does<\/i> sound almost contradictory: a divorce lawyer playing matchmaker.<\/p>\n

But during a wide-ranging conversation at her uptown office this week, it quickly became clear that Sodoma\u2019s interest in the event has less to do with casual dating than with the complicated realities of starting over after divorce.<\/p>\n

Given her profession \u2014 as well as the fact that she was a child of divorce and later went through one herself \u2014 Sodoma said people often assume she must be cynical about relationships.<\/p>\n

Instead, she said the opposite is true.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that two people can actually do it if they put the same level of effort they put into their academics, into their career, into their sports, into their family,\u201d said Sodoma, who calls herself \u201ca marriage-loving divorce attorney\u201d so many times during the conversation that you\u2019d think she\u2019s trying to trademark it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they both are able to put in the work, I think anything is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

She joked that friends used to tease her by saying she had \u201cher pick of the litter,\u201d considering she spent all day around people who were newly single via separation or divorce.<\/p>\n

But things got serious \u2014 in a good way \u2014 when she actually did<\/i> fall for a man who had originally been referred to her firm as a client during his own separation (worth noting: she didn\u2019t represent him). She said she\u2019d read a book after her divorce that talked about how your family should make you feel \u201cheld and free.\u201d That\u2019s how George Kelada made her feel.<\/p>\n

They married each other in April 2022.<\/p>\n

Around the same time, Sodoma said, she found herself thinking more about clients who had emotionally moved beyond their divorces but still struggled with the practical and emotional realities of dating again.<\/p>\n

So, she wondered: How do people in that stage of life actually meet each other?<\/p>\n

That question eventually led to the creation of her \u201cFresh Start Social\u201d mixers.<\/p>\n

The first one was held around Valentine\u2019s Day \u2014 \u201cbecause,\u201d Sodoma said, \u201cwhen you\u2019re going through separation and divorce, and it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day \u2026 it can become sad.\u201d About 25 people showed up.<\/p>\n

Sodoma greeted them with a few ground rules: no legal advice, no pressure and no guarantees. She joked that she hadn\u2019t background-checked anyone in the room. She emphasized that she wasn\u2019t making money and that all proceeds were going to charity. Then she handed out conversation-starter cards inspired by relationship therapist Esther Perel and watched as a room full of divorced and separated strangers tried to navigate the awkward optimism of starting over.<\/p>\n

Some people mingled easily. Others lingered near the bar, clutching cocktails and scanning the room before finally introducing themselves to strangers.<\/p>\n

Read more Cabarrus faces second county manager severance lawsuit in less than a year<\/a><\/p>\n

But what struck Sodoma most \u2014 who calls it a matchmaking event but not herself a matchmaker \u2014 wasn\u2019t the wide variety of personalities. It was the common bond everyone in the room shared, and the relief people seemed to feel simply by being surrounded by others who understood what they were going through.<\/p>\n

The response reinforced her sense that the event was tapping into something real.<\/p>\n

Still, Sodoma admitted something surprising: While clients and friends had responded enthusiastically to the idea, she hadn\u2019t heard much about it from fellow attorneys. So in the middle of the interview at her law office this week, she stood up and called another lawyer into her office to ask for feedback directly.<\/p>\n

The attorney who appeared in Sodoma\u2019s doorway paused carefully before answering.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think attorneys generally are supportive of it,\u201d the lawyer finally said, pausing for a beat before adding, \u201cwith a healthy dose of skepticism, as we\u2019re looking out for the interests of our clients.\u201d Then came the more candid version: \u201cSometimes we have to represent people that we don\u2019t really think we should match up<\/i> with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sodoma nodded, conceding it was a fair point. \u201cOr maybe that aren\u2019t ready<\/i> to be matched,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

She recalled one woman from the first \u201cFresh Start Social\u201d whom she gently concluded \u201cwasn\u2019t ready\u201d to begin dating again. But instead of focusing on setting her up with someone, Sodoma found herself introducing the woman to other women in the group.<\/p>\n

In some ways, Sodoma said, that moment clarified what the supposed \u201cmatchmaking\u201d events were actually becoming: spaces where people navigating divorce could simply feel less isolated.<\/p>\n

But regardless of any skepticism, the concept seems to have given something back to Sodoma, too. And after the other attorney excused herself, Sodoma smiled and returned to talking about what she sees as the larger purpose of the event. \u201cDivorce attorneys, we are always at the end<\/i> of the relationship, at the dissolution,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo being in the room with people who were open to the idea of beginnings instead of endings was really a breath of fresh air.\u201d<\/p>\n

When:<\/b> 6-9 p.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Where:<\/b> The Platform, 3232 South Blvd.<\/p>\n

Cost:<\/b> $24.86. One drink is included with ticket purchase; all proceeds benefit the Katie Blessings Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Impaired\u2019 US Marine takes fire department truck, then crashes it, NC police say<\/a><\/p>\n

Details:<\/b> eventbrite.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After decades helping clients through divorce, Charlotte attorney Nicole Sodoma launched singles mixers focused on connection, community and second chances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nThis Charlotte divorce lawyer decided to start hosting matchmaking events - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=398\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This Charlotte divorce lawyer decided to start hosting matchmaking events - 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