Separation & Divorce

Part 1: Self-Help Legal Services: The Dangers of the Do-It-Yourself Separation Agreement

October 26, 2014

In a family law context, do-it-yourself separation agreements present an area that is laden with potential problems. A separation agreement, which may also be referred to by other names such as a Marital Settlement Agreement or Contract of Separation and Property Settlement Agreement, is a written contract between a husband and wife wherein they reach various agreements related to their marital separation. Some of the dangers of a do-it-yourself separation agreement are delineated below. Many…

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Image of the back of a man in a suit with his right arm bent behind his back and his fingers crossed, depicting the act of a lie.

Truth or Consequences: The Impact of Lying in Your Domestic Case

August 11, 2014

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 of their child or a spouse whom they still love, it is not surprising that they may embellish or outright lie to try to bolster their case, conceal evidence that may be damaging to their case, or make false allegations to try to hurt or…

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Social Media and Your Domestic Case

August 4, 2014

Social networking websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn, provide a unique forum for us to connect and share information with others. As the use of such social media has gained in popularity, lawyers, opposing parties, and investigators have learned that these websites provide a trove of personal and professional information that can be used as evidence, or facilitate further investigation and discovery, in legal proceedings. The following tips can help you avoid some…

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Issues to Consider Before You Separate

July 27, 2014

When parties separate, it is not unusual for their separation to be preceded by a heated argument or domestic violence. High drama often sets the stage for a separation to occur with little, if any, opportunity for advance planning. When a spouse hastily vacates the marital home, that spouse may no longer have access to the home where property is located and important financial records may be maintained. If your marriage is on the rocks…

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How Will Adultery Affect My Divorce Case?

July 18, 2014

What we generally think of as “adultery,” is referred to by North Carolina Gen. Stat. 50-16.1A(3)(a) as “illicit sexual behavior” which is defined as “sexual or deviate sexual intercourse, deviate sexual acts, or sexual acts defined in G.S. 14-27.1(4), voluntarily engaged in by a spouse with someone other than the other spouse” that occurs during the marriage and prior to or on the date of separation. Adultery is one of the common reasons a marriage…

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