Family Law
“Separation agreement” is the term commonly used to describe a legally binding contract that spouses enter into when they reach an agreement regarding issues related to their marital separation. The agreement may be a simple agreement that establishes the parties’ mutual agreement to separate and their date of separation, or it may deal with more complex issues, including child custody, child support, postseparation support, alimony, and equitable distribution of marital property and debt.
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 policy in effect insuring the life of the supporting spouse or parent can provide a dependent spouse or custodial parent with valuable financial security in the event of the death of the supporting spouse or parent.
Depending on your reason for leaving your spouse, your spouse may have grounds to allege abandonment, which is sometimes referred to as desertion. In North Carolina, abandonment is considered an act of marital misconduct.
If you have signed your separation agreement or a judge has entered a Judgment of Equitable Distribution dividing your marital property and debts, you are probably feeling relieved that this stage of your divorce is over and looking forward to putting these matters behind you. However, this is a crucial stage of the divorce process in which you should take steps to protect your financial interests and implement the division of assets and debts between…
If you are separated and are relying on your estranged spouse to provide you with health insurance coverage through an employer’s group health insurance plan or other policy maintained by your spouse, your health insurance coverage may be in jeopardy. One concern is that your estranged spouse may be able to remove you as an insured, terminate your coverage, or allow your policy to lapse without your knowledge or consent. With the increasing cost of…
