Divorce Law Updates

After a federal appeals court ruling, a North Carolina law that enables magistrates to refrain from performing same sex marriages will continue in full force, according to an article by The Charlotte Observer. Introduced as Senate Bill 2 by State Senator Phil Berger, the law in question allows magistrates and other officials to decline to perform a lawful marriage based on religious...

Our topic for discussion today involves the North Carolina approach to equitable distribution. In simple terms, equitable distribution refers to process of the court dividing up marital property between the spouses during divorce proceedings. It is important to note that equitable distribution only occurs when the spouses cannot agree amongst themselves to a fair distribution of their...

Today we will explore the North Carolina approach to collaborative divorce. Established in 2003 via amendment to the North Carolina General Statutes, this legal process leverages alternative dispute resolution to help spouses complete the divorce process as quickly and efficiently as possible. How Does North Carolina Define Collaborative Divorce? In Chapter 50, Article 4 of the North Carolina...

Advocates against domestic violence organized a march in Charlotte on September 28th, according to an article by FOX 46 Charlotte. Featuring domestic violence victims, members of the community and law enforcement officials in their ranks, the advocates marched along North Tryon Street. They displayed a number of signs with messages such as “verbal abuse is domestic abuse” and “men, step up and...

Today we will explore the North Carolina approach to child custody and child support. Before we delve into specifics, there is an overarching consideration we need to consider first. North Carolina places a high importance on the best interests of the child. In any determination of child custody or support, the court will examine what circumstances will yield the best outcome for the children...

The concept of alimony arose to address inequality between spouses after divorce. This inequality is especially prevalent in marriages where one spouse served as the breadwinner and the other spouse served as the homemaker. When that marriage dissolves, there is a clear difference between the earning power of the spouses. Alimony provides a mechanism to address this type of post-divorce...

North Carolina is one of only a small handful of states that allows for the filing of a lawsuit and cause of action against your unfaithful spouse’s lover. The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently upheld the ability in some cases to sue the person who had the affair with your spouse. This is called “alienation of affection,” or interference with a marriage, and “criminal conversation,” or...