FAMILY LAW ARTICLES

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Image of a file folder attoped with a gavel labeled Prenuptial Agreement.

Can a Premarital Agreement Be Signed after the Marriage?

As its name implies, a premarital agreement (also known as a prenuptial agreement) is an agreement that parties enter into before marriage. To be considered a valid premarital agreement, the...

Emotions

In a domestic dispute, negative emotions such as hostility, anger, and revenge can needlessly delay a resolution and increase the cost. Perspective and objectivity, on the other hand, can promote...

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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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Why You May Need an Expert Witness or Other Professional to Assist in Your Divorce or Child Custody Case

Depending on the nature and complexity of the issues in dispute in your divorce or child custody matter, your attorney may recommend that you engage the services of non-lawyer professionals...

Conflict Resolution image depicting the words "conflict" and "mediation" on a glass board. Person with red marker has crossed out "conflict" and is underling mediation.

Why is ADR Encouraged?

Alternative dispute resolution can save financial and emotional costs. Not only is litigation expensive and time-consuming, but it can be very stressful. You may feel that an important part of...

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What is Arbitration?

Matrimonial arbitration can be used to resolve multiple or single family law issues which the parties agree by contract to submit to the arbitration process. Some parties are bound by...

How is child support determined?

The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines in effect for 2013 provide a formula for determining the basic child support obligation for parents’ with combined adjusted gross incomes of $300,000 per...

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How Can I Resume My Maiden Name or Former Surname Following Divorce?

North Carolina General Statute § 50-12(a) authorizes a woman whose marriage is dissolved by divorce to change her name to any of the following: “(1) Her maiden name; or (2)...

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Can a Stepparent Be Required to Pay Child Support for a Current or Former Stepchild?

Under North Carolina law, the legal parents (either biological or adoptive) of a child are deemed to be primarily responsible for the child’s financial support. As such, a stepparent has...

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About Your Family Law Mediation

WHAT IS MEDIATION? Mediation is a process in which two or more people involved in a dispute come together voluntarily to try to develop a solution to their problem with...

Why You May Need an Accountant to Assist with Your Divorce

With the exception of child custody, family law cases are largely about financial issues – child support, postseparation support, alimony, and identification, classification, evaluation, and distribution of marital and divisible...

What Is Considered “Marital Property?”

In North Carolina, the court ordered or agreed-upon division of assets and debts that occurs when spouses separate is called equitable distribution. All assets and debts that the parties accumulate...

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