March 2018

The Legalities of Same-Sex Marriage in North Carolina

The applicability of federal law in a country where each state is its own sovereign can cause some complexity for issues such as same-sex marriage. Marriage is under the ambit of state law, however, where the federal law interprets state law as a violation of constitutional rights, states must yield to the federal interpretation of the law. Same-sex couples seeking to marry have to gain a clear understanding of the marriage laws governing their jurisdiction. North Carolina is an example of a state where some complexity exists.

Same-Sex Marriage Under Federal Law

To fully understand state law, individuals must understand its relationship to the federal law. On June 26, 2015, same-sex marriage was pronounced as legal nationwide in the landmark case of Obergefell v. Hodges. In that case, the Supreme Court of the United States held that same-sex marriage was a guarantee under the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. With this ruling, same-sex marriages were recognized in all 50 states and Washington D.C. As of today, about seven counties in Texas and Alabama do not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

North Carolina’s Same-Sex Marriage Laws

In North Carolina, same-sex marriage has been recognized since 2014 after the ruling in General Synod v. Cooper. In that case, the U.S. District Court held that a denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples in North Carolina was unconstitutional. Therefore, North Carolina permitted same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court handed down the federal ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Prior to the Cooper ruling, North Carolina had a statutory ban on same-sex marriage that passed in 1996. In 2012, the North Carolina legislature amended the state Constitution with marriage defined as a union between man and woman. After the ruling in Cooper and Obergefell, the 2012 statutory pronouncement is no longer applicable in North Carolina. It is important to note that North Carolina recognized (and still recognizes) domestic partnerships between same-sex couples. 

Recent State Bill Introduced Against Same-Sex Marriages

On April 11, 2017, the North Carolina House of Representatives introduced a bill entitled the “Uphold Historical Marriage Act” also known as House Bill 780. The bill sought to recognize marriage as only between a man and woman as pronounced in the 2012 amendment to the state constitution. The bill directly undercuts the ruling in Obergefell, which gives credence to opponents who call the bill “null and void.” The bill has not passed the North Carolina state legislature as of March 2018.  Presently, same-sex marriage remains lawful in North Carolina.

Charlotte Same-Sex Marriage Attorneys

Although same-sex marriage laws are permitted in the U.S., some couples still face challenges when it comes to divorce and child custody. Similarly, there is some complexity when same-sex couples that have been cohabitating for years without marrying seek to have their relationship recognized under the law. The experienced lawyers at Powers Landreth PLLC will advise you on your same-sex marital matters to prepare you for the road ahead. Contact us now for a consultation.

Resources:

supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf

altoday.com/archives/17555-two-years-later-7-alabama-counties-still-not-issuing-marriage-licences-sex-couples

ncleg.net/Sessions/2017/Bills/House/PDF/H780v0.pdf

washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/04/12/north-carolina-bill-banning-same-sex-marriage-again-wont-be-heard-house-speaker-says/?utm_term=.d1bbdd1ed76f

clearinghouse.net/chDocs/public/PB-NC-0006-0011.pdf

Spousal Privilege: When Marriage Protects

Spousal privilege is the legal and policy doctrine that accords confidentiality between spouses with an aim to encourage martial harmony and to protect families. There are two types of spousal privilege: (1) testimonial privilege and (2) communications privilege. Each privilege applies in finite circumstances and requires an inquiry into the status of the marriage.

Testimonial Privilege

Testimonial privilege is asserted in criminal cases. In this scenario, one spouse is called to testify against another spouse in a criminal proceeding. The spouse who is being called to the stand can assert testimonial privilege and refuse to testify against the defendant spouse. At the same time, this privilege is not absolute. The witness spouse may choose to waive his or her privilege and testify anyway. This can occur even under the objection of the defendant spouse.  In different jurisdictions, there are exceptions to testimonial privilege including in the case of marital rape. For the testimonial privilege to apply, the defendant spouse and the witness spouse must be married at the time the privilege is asserted.

Communications Privilege

Spousal communication privilege is asserted in both criminal and civil cases. This privilege covers words uttered and actions taken during the marriage. The totality of the circumstances must convey that the communication was intended as private. Therefore, one spouse can assert the communications privilege when asked to testify to private, confidential communications occurring during the marriage. Unlike testimonial privilege, communications privilege survives the end of the marriage. As such, a spouse can assert the communications privilege as long as the communication occurred during marriage even though the marriage has now ended in divorce or death. In the case of spousal communications, both spouses are permitted to refuse to make a disclosure. The burden is on the opposing party to prove that the words or acts were not intended as private.

Spousal Privilege in North Carolina

The spousal testimonial and communications privileges are known as common law constructions. In North Carolina, these privileges are statutory. The statutory formation may include multiple exceptions to the rules conveying that the state is more interested in other matters that may trump keeping harmony in the marital relationship. Spousal communication privilege in North Carolina is quite similar to the common law construction:

No husband or wife shall be compellable to disclose any confidential communication made by one to the other during their marriage.

However, North Carolina provides the following exception in its version of testimonial privilege:

• Criminal cohabitation or bigamy
• Assault or threats
• Trespass upon the residence of other spouse when living separately
• Abandonment or failure to provide support
• In the prosecution of one spouse for any criminal offense against the minor child of the couple or one spouse

Charlotte Divorce Attorneys

The spousal testimonial and communications privileges can appear as obscure evidentiary rules. However, in practice the assertion or lack thereof can have severe repercussions in divorce proceedings and related criminal mattress. The lawyers at Powers Landreth PLLC can advise you on spousal privilege matters and prepare you accordingly. Contact us now for a consultation.

Resources:

law.cornell.edu/wex/marital_privilege

ncga.state.nc.us/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_8/gs_8-57.html

law.cornell.edu/wex/marital_privilege

Abuse Victim Seeks to Amend North Carolina’s One-Year Divorce Requirement

At first blush, the North Carolina law requiring a one-year separation period before a court can grant divorce has some saving qualities. One might view the law as creating the space and time for couples to reconsider divorce, which is especially important when children are involved. However, for certain individuals, the one-year waiting period is quite a burden.

One-Year Waiting Period May be Incompatible for Certain Marriages

A 33-year-old woman living in North Carolina separated from her husband and was able to provide solid evidence to a court to warrant a restraining order. Included in her evidence were photos of injuries she claims she sustained from the abuse of her husband. Even with a documented history of abuse and a restraining order, the woman must wait one year before seeking a divorce. During the interim, she had to pay her  husband’s health insurance. She also had to endure the psychological distress of knowing that the person who allegedly abused her was legally recognized as her husband. Possible abuse victims like this woman fear for their safety when the state requires prolonging a legal relationship, which brings them pain and suffering. The issue with the one-year waiting period is not limited to psychological pain. Like the woman’s payment of her estranged spouse’s health insurance, sustained legal recognition of the marriage carries certain obligations and requirements abuse victims should not have to maintain. In one respect, the obligation may prove unethical and dangerous.

Domestic Abuse Victim Seeks to Amend G.S. 50-6

The woman’s ordeal prompted her to create a petition requesting North Carolina Attorney General and the state General Assembly to amend G.S. 50-6. The petition seeks an amendment of the one-year waiting period for established abuse victims. The woman’s campaign garnered national attention after her story was featured on Now This, a national news outlet. The campaign sought to highlight the counterintuitive nature of the law. For example, it is rather unethical to require a spouse to remain married to an individual who has been convicted of stabbing him or her. Proponents of amending G.S. 50-6 find no defensible argument requiring an abuse victim to continue a marriage that is dangerous to his or her well-being. North Carolina is not the only state with a waiting period requirement. Other states (Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania) actually have a two-year waiting period if the divorce is not mutually consensual.

How Divorcing Abuse Victims Can Manage North Carolina’s One-Year Requirement

As an abuse victim seeking a divorce, the best thing you can do is get out of harm’s way. This includes obtaining a domestic violence protective order and ceasing cohabitation. Even though G.S. 50-6 is still the law in North Carolina, there are additional safeguards abuse victims can request to facilitate their safety and tamper the obligations of the legally recognized marriage. This includes requiring that law enforcement remove the defendant from a shared home, ordering the defendant to stay away from the plaintiff’s home, school or place of work,  ordering the defendant to pay his or her own insurance, and ordering the defendant to forfeit any firearms or other weapons. Abuse victims must keep well-documented records of all encounters with their abusive spouse. In addition, hire an experienced family law attorney to aggressively fight for your interests during this critical juncture.

Charlotte Divorce and Domestic Abuse Attorneys

At Powers Landreth PLLC we will provide zealous representation to ensure that the law works on your behalf. Even though G.S. 50-6 is still the law in North Carolina, our experienced family law attorneys can advise you and craft legal strategies to facilitate your one-year transition.  Contact us now for a consultation.

Resources:

womansday.com/relationships/dating-marriage/a16637660/north-carolina-divorce-domestic-abusive-petition/

ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_50/gs_50-6.html

change.org/p/north-carolina-general-assembly-domestic-violence-victims-shouldn-t-have-to-wait-a-year-and-day-to-divorce-their-abuser/u/22328283

Why Did I Get Married? Annulment Basics in North Carolina

Annulment is the legal procedure that declares a marriage void from its inception. The marriage is deemed as illegal when it was pronounced, therefore, the effect of an annulment is retroactive invalidity. Annulment is granted on varying grounds depending on the state at issue including insanity, bigamy and incest.

Voidable vs. Void Marriages

Under North Carolina law, a marriage is that void is subject to annulment. In the alternative, a marriage that is voidable is a marriage that is entered into with a major defect including: (1) incest, (2) false pretenses, (3) impotence, (4) lack of sound mind, and (5) one of the spouses being under the age of sixteen. All of these instances are grounds that the court will consider as voidable. Unlike void marriages, a court can deem a voidable marriage as valid depending on the circumstances of the case. For example, in the case of false pretenses, if you remain married after you discover that your spouse was never pregnant (as was communicated before the marriage), then a court can find validity under the rationale that the pregnancy was not the actual reason for seeking the annulment.

One Annulment Ground in North Carolina

In North Carolina, the only ground for an annulment or void marriage is bigamy. Bigamy is the illegal act of marrying an individual who is already lawfully married to another individual. People who enter into bigamous marriages have entered into a void marriage per the law in all U.S. states. Bigamy, unlike the voidable grounds, is immediately void and the marriage is never valid under law.

How to Get an Annulment in North Carolina

Individuals seeking an annulment must file a claim for absolute annulment. The plaintiff spouse must file the claim in the county in which the defendant spouse resides. The more specific evidence and firsthand witness testimony the plaintiff shows, the more likely the annulment will be granted. With bigamy being the only ground for an annulment, plaintiffs are better served by providing solid evidence of the defendant’s marriage including marriage certificates, photos, or proof of children born of the first marriage.

Effect of a Void Marriage

In divorce proceedings, the individuals are considered as divorced after a divorce decree is issued. Under the law, the parties where married and the decree is the legal recognition of the dissolution of the marriage. After an annulment is granted, the marriage is deemed as to have never existed. You were and are currently single. However, children born to an annulled marriage are considered children of a valid marriage for the purposes of child support and parenting. Unlike divorce, property distribution and spousal support are not available in annulment proceedings.

Charlotte Annulment Attorneys

It is important to involve an experienced attorney to guide you through filing for an annulment or ending your voidable marriage. Annulment and voidable marriages are complex issues, but the Charlotte family law lawyers at Powers Landreth PLLC are ready to simplify the process and provide you with ardent representation. Timely filing of these claims will dictate your success. Contact us now for a consultation.

Resource:

ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_51/GS_51-3.html