FAMILY LAW ARTICLES

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Costly Divorce Mistakes: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You.

In an effort to save money during divorce, many couples turn to self-help legal forms and generic advice found on the Internet rather than hiring a family law attorney. When...

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Practical Matters

Litigation often spawns more litigation. To determine whether certain issues are worth litigating, you must weigh the price you will pay with your time, emotions, and money, against the anticipated...

Dividing Retirement Accounts upon Divorce

In North Carolina, interests in retirement accounts or benefits that are earned during the marriage are considered marital property that is subject to division between the parties upon divorce. There...

What is a Dependent Spouse?

Essential to an award of spousal support or alimony, the court must determine that the spouse requesting support is a dependent spouse, and the other party is the supporting spouse....

Will Your Support Case Benefit from Retaining a Vocational Expert?

There are some situations in which your attorney may recommend that you retain certain professionals, such as an accountant, appraiser, or vocational expert, to assist with your domestic case. A...

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Can I Require My Spouse to Maintain Life Insurance To Secure an Alimony or Child Support Obligation?

Under North Carolina law, the obligation of a spouse to pay alimony, or a parent to pay child support, ceases upon the death of the obligor. Maintaining a life insurance...

Image of a folder entitled Family Mediation, with a gavel, depicting the concept of mediation in divorce.

What You Should Expect from Your Mediator

The mediator’s role is to move the parties beyond personality clashes and historic grievances. Only then can the mediator help you improve communication so any future dealings can take place...

What Should I Wear to Court (and why does it matter)?

The clothes you wear say a lot about who you are. By simply observing a person’s clothing, consciously or unconsciously, we form impressions about that person’s attitude, lifestyle, social status,...

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Gifts during Marriage – When a Gift Is Not a Gift

Separate property is considered property (either an asset or debt) that belongs to one spouse individually. Separate property is not subject to equitable distribution and its value is not included...

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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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...

How Long Am I Entitled to Receive – Or Must I Pay – Alimony?

Decades ago when men were traditionally the breadwinners of the American family and women were typically stay-at-home moms, permanent alimony was not an unusual financial result in divorces. The days...

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