FAMILY LAW ARTICLES

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Is Your Attorney Tough Enough?

All too often, the client has the attitude that a lawyer who is a “fighter” is a lawyer who refuses to cooperate with opposing counsel, makes demands and gets instant...

Can I Withhold Visitation If the Other Parent Doesn’t Pay Child Support?

The unequivocal answer is “no.” Under North Carolina law, child support and visitation are separate matters and a parent's failure to pay child support is not a legal justification to...
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How Long Will My Divorce Take?

Generally speaking, it is impossible to predict exactly how long the case will take. After the case is under way, and your attorney understands the issues, he will be better...
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Can I Make the Other Parent Pay for Private School Tuition As Part of a Child Support Obligation?

The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines provide a formula for determining the presumptive child support obligation for parties’ whose combined adjusted gross income is $300,000 per year or less. The...
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Under What Circumstances Can My Spouse Be Required to Pay My Attorney’s Fees?

North Carolina law allows a judge to order one party to pay the other party’s reasonable attorney’s fees in certain family related legal matters, including child custody, child support, post-separation...
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Counseling

Domestic disputes are emotionally charged. Clients are encouraged to seek counseling before and during the process. Counseling can help clients to work through their pain, accept the marriage’s end, learn...

Emergency Child Custody Orders

Under current North Carolina law, a judge may issue an emergency custody order changing the living arrangements of a child or awarding one party temporary custody if there is sufficient...
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Truth or Consequences: The Impact of Lying in Your Domestic Case

There are many reasons why people lie – tell an intentional untruth – during domestic cases. When the stakes are high, such as when someone is faced with losing custody...
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Five Tips to Help You Survive Divorce

Marital relationships may take years to completely unravel. Spouses often make the final break after many unsuccessful attempts to salvage their marriage. Yet most people are surprisingly unprepared when the...
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Who Should Get the Family Dog?

Many people consider their pet as a member of their family, not just personal property. Consequently, when couples split up, there are sometimes disagreements as to which party should take...
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What Are Factors That a Judge May Consider in Determining Child Custody?

In North Carolina, the legal standard that judges are required to apply in child custody cases is “the best interests of the child.” Thus, when parents cannot reach an agreement...
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Your Spouse’s Suggestions

Unfortunately, client’s commonly believe that an opponent’s suggestions should routinely be rejected because they are either bad ideas, or they reflect some ulterior motive. Some clients want to automatically do...