Whether you have significant assets to divide or are concerned about child custody and visitation, the last thing you want is a drawn-out court battle. Not only is it stressful and uncertain, but it is also likely to be expensive and time-consuming. In general, you’ll...
What do North Carolina courts consider when awarding alimony?
In North Carolina, alimony (also called “spousal support”) is awarded when there is a dependent spouse and a supporting spouse and an award of alimony would be equitable, considering all relevant factors. A dependent spouse is, essentially, one who earns less money...
Should your divorce include an order for life insurance?
You may not have thought about life insurance recently, but it could be an important part of your divorce agreement or order. In North Carolina as in other states, parents are legally obligated to provide support for their children. Likewise, you could be obligated to...
After your divorce decree, a few additional steps to take
If your divorce decree has been issued, congratulations. You have almost completed your divorce. Almost? Yes, the decree is the final outcome of your divorce proceedings, but there are still a few pieces of business to handle. For one thing, your divorce decree is a...
Will getting a divorce ruin my credit?
If you’re considering a divorce, you may have heard that it will ruin your credit rating. Is that true? It really depends on your situation. There is no official credit penalty for getting divorced, but there are divorce-related issues that can have an impact on your...
What happens during legal separation in North Carolina?
In order to get a divorce in North Carolina, you and your spouse must be legally separated for a whole year. All that is required to be legally separated is that you live apart from one another and that at least one of you has no intention of resuming the marriage....
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...
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...
