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North Carolina Criminal Defense and Family Law Blog
To divide your retirement assets, you may need a QDRO
During the division of property in a divorce, it is sometimes necessary to divide up the couple’s shared retirement savings. But retirement accounts such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s and IRAs have tax consequences and penalties if you withdraw the money before retirement. Is...
What are North Carolina’s Child Support Guidelines?
In North Carolina, both parents are expected to provide financial support for their children. Child support is determined by the Court based on the application of the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines. A child support order can be obtained as part of a divorce,...
Protecting your business during divorce
You may not have anticipated either of these things happening to you: your business works its way into success and becomes one of your biggest assets, and your marriage begins to unravel. This can put you in danger of losing your business. Asset division and your...
What makes a military divorce different?
When military service members divorce, there are laws and considerations that don’t apply to divorces where neither spouse is in the military. Whether you are the service member or you are married to a service member (or both), you should understand what to expect....
How does the division of assets occur in a North Carolina divorce?
In any divorce, decisions must be made about the division of marital assets and debt. This is true in North Carolina, where we divide these on an “equitable” (not necessarily equal) basis. First, a determination needs to be made as to whether the asset or debt is part...
Changing your child custody order in North Carolina
Sometimes, things change substantially after a child custody order has been issued. A new job or a job loss can change how and when you need to parent. You may be considering relocating. You may have evidence that your child’s other parent is abusing or neglecting...
Are ‘reverse search warrants’ legal?
Lately, it has become almost commonplace for law enforcement to search for suspects using “reverse search warrants.” What are they? Traditionally, search warrants were intended to keep the government from unreasonably searching people and their property. Only when a...
What could happen if your injuries aren’t obvious right away?
It is surprisingly common for car crash injuries not to become obvious right away. You may not realize for days or weeks after the crash that you have a serious injury. This does not mean you were not injured, however. Insurance companies often ask accident victims to...
Was a distracted driver at fault in your car crash?
It’s frustrating when you’ve done your best to be a good driver and follow the rules, but you get in a crash anyway. All too often, another driver was at fault — and they may have been driving distracted. The problem of distracted driving has always been serious, but...
What are the penalties for DWI in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, you can be charged with any of six misdemeanor levels of driving while intoxicated (DWI). In certain circumstances, however, DWI can also be charged as a felony. Here are the penalties for each charge: Level V misdemeanor Minimum jail sentence of 24...
