Why Do Some Divorce Cases Take Longer Than Others?

By Web Admin | August 5, 2016
Cracked face of a traditional timepiece depicting the slow movement of time.

Almost everyone has heard a divorce horror story about a divorce case that lasted for years and/or cost a small fortune in legal expenses. While those cases are the exception, they do occur. The absolute (actual) divorce is usually a simple process that can be completed within approximately 45 days from when the other side…

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Telephone number spoofing scam affects NC citizens and law firms

By Web Admin | June 16, 2016
Image of a man's hand using a mobile phone in a corporate atmosphere.

We have been warned by North Carolina Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company of a new scam affecting citizens of North Carolina. In this new scam, the caller purports to represent a law firm collecting a debt. The caller threatens the citizen with arrest if the debt isn’t paid via credit card during the phone call. The…

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

By Web Admin | June 14, 2016
Image of man standing on a blue background with his hand over his forehead as if ashamed of the mistake he has made.

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 parties attempt to represent themselves in the divorce process and forgo the benefit of legal counsel, they place themselves at risk of adverse legal and…

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Can I Make the Other Parent Pay for Private School Tuition As Part of a Child Support Obligation?

By Web Admin | June 14, 2016
Image of a group of private school students wearing school uniforms in a study session.

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 child support guidelines allow various factors to be taken into consideration when determining each parent’s presumptive child support obligation. These various factors include, but not…

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Gifts during Marriage – When a Gift Is Not a Gift

By Web Admin | May 25, 2016
Image of a woman with her hands held together in front of her holding a small white package with a red bow.

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 in the marital estate. Separate property includes: property that was owned by a spouse prior to marriage; property acquired in exchange for separate property; and…

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