James M. Arges
, attorney with the Arges Law Firm, P.C., is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and licensed attorney since 1993. When serving clients Jim is always mindful that real estate or estate planning may be their first encounter with legal representation: “I want to give my clients a positive first experience of lawyers.”
Jim brings to real estate law his special gifts as an unabashed “people person” and historian: “I do real estate law because I enjoy working with people and helping them with what is usually the most important investment of their lives. I have a good customer service work ethic that goes well with a practice emphasizing real estate. Our firm is very focused on customer service. We return phone calls promptly, and we want to make sure that doing a closing at our office is a pleasant experience.” Jim really enjoys the title examination process: “I’m a history major and I like to go back and ‘dig in’ to the history of a piece of property.”
As a dedicated family man, Jim has a real understanding of the concerns and fears of parents wanting to provide for their children: “I feel strongly that anybody who has young children needs to do estate planning, and anybody with significant assets needs to do estate planning. Estate planning can be complicated, but it can be very straightforward. For many people, a simple will is sufficient, along with a general power of attorney, health care power or attorney and advance directives. In many cases, it’s only when you get assets over 2 million dollars that things become more complicated.”
A native of Durham, Jim is married to Kris Arges, a cardiac research nurse and research coordinator at the cardiac diagnostic center at Duke Medical Center. They have four children. Jim graduated from Durham Academy (1983), Duke University (AB in History 1987) and Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (Juris Doctor, 1993).
Jim is a member of the Real Property, Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the North Carolina Bar Association, as well as a member of the Durham County Bar Association. He is an affiliate member of the Durham Regional Association of Realtors© and the Triangle Mortgage Lenders Association.
Jim’s involvements in the community include service as a youth athletics coach for the North Durham Little League, the Hillandale Athletic Association and the Durham YMCA. As a member of Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham, Jim has served for several terms as chair of the Personnel Committee, on the Board of Deacons, and as a Sunday School Teacher.