Divorce Law Updates

When most people think of divorce, a complicated, stressful, and costly image comes to mind. While many divorces do end up going down that type of road, especially when the divorce is contested and goes to court, there is an easier option available for couples whose relationship is still strong enough to discuss options face to face in a controlled, neutral environment. This option is called...

Who gets Fido? You might be surprised what causes hang-ups in separations and divorce.  Sometimes even deciding whether to separate involves consideration of factors that may seem unimportant, if not frivolous to some. The other side of the coin involves assumptions about what’s fair or what the divorce laws in North Carolina say. If you’re a pet owner, figuring out who gets the...

So, you have a cheating spouse.  Or maybe you’re the spouse having an affair?  What does that mean for a divorce?  It can be relevant for quite a few different things. First, there are two types of divorce in North Carolina.  The first and most common divorce is generally referred to as an absolute divorce.  An absolute divorce can be granted one year and a day after the spouses separate....

There are two different types of spousal privilege in the North Carolina rules of evidence.  These privileges refer to a spouse’s right to refuse to provide certain evidence.  The two privileges are commonly referred to as spousal testimony and marital communications. The first type of privilege is referred to as spousal testimony.  The spousal testimony privilege only operates to protect the...

In recent North Carolina news, a dog named Huey was brutally killed by one of his owners, a veteran with PTSD and the veteran’s boyfriend, who is currently on active duty in the military, according to The Fayetteville Observer. The couple shot the family dog 10 times, which they filmed each other doing. A friend later posted the video to Facebook, hoping that the two would face criminal...

According to PBS, 2.7 million grandparents are currently raising their grandchildren. Non-parents, such as grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings, or other relatives, may wish to become a larger part of a child’s life after their parents go through divorce, a parent leaves, dies, goes to prison, becomes abusive, can no longer properly care for the child, or disappears. Grandparents and other...

Child custody can be determined one of two ways.  The first way is through a separation agreement.  This means the parties agree on an arrangement in a signed, written document.  The second option is by a court order.  If the parties cannot come to an agreement, the judge will decide the terms of child custody.  The parties will put on evidence to show the judge who should have custody, when...