You don’t want to miss out on your child’s birthday. It’s a very special time that marks the march of the years. Every birthday is a milestone. Plus, you want to see if they love their gifts as much as you hope. After a divorce, you will have to determine how...
Divorce rates jumped in 2020, apparently due to pandemic woes
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought hardships to many. There have been extensive job losses, creating economic stress in many households. For those who remain employed, work arrangements had to be made, with working from home the new norm for many. Children have been...
Getting a divorce? Stop tweeting now
Did you know your tweets, status updates, and other social media posts can be used as evidence in family law cases? It’s true. Even if your posts are restricted to family and friends, they could still be admissible in court. Public posts, or those shared by mutual...
Divorcing from a ‘high conflict’ personality type
What is a high conflict personality type? In general, they’re quite recognizable, although you may not have recognized it. A high conflict personality type seems determined to take any possible conflict and magnify it, blame the other party, and make problems seem...
A few ways to divide your kids’ winter holidays after divorce
When it comes to co-parenting, dividing Christmas and the winter holidays is probably at the top of your list. Every parent wants to share the holiday season with their kids, but it must be divided fairly. When developing a parenting plan, you should focus primarily...
3 ways to incorporate Thanksgiving into your parenting plan
When parents are unmarried or divorcing, they need to find a way to share Thanksgiving and other holidays fairly in their parenting plans. No one wants to miss out on this special family time. There are at least three good ways to share Thanksgiving and the long...
Dividing military retired pay and benefits in a divorce
The Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act authorizes state family courts to divide a military service member’s retired pay in a divorce. The division is done according to state law. North Carolina, like all other states, considers military retired pay to be...
Mediation can help achieve a private, cost-effective divorce
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...