Did you sign a postnuptial or postmarital agreement at some point during your marriage and do not believe the terms are fair?  Are you and your spouse getting separated or divorced and you want to understand the effects of a postnuptial agreement?  Although post marital agreements are difficult to set aside, there are ways to attack them in family court if you were pressured to sign, or the terms are wholly unfair, or you waived certain marital rights.  Similarly if your spouse is refusing to comply with a postnuptial agreement that you believe is fair, there are ways to enforce … Continue reading →

Yes! Having a well-respected family law attorney represent you in a custody case is an important step but your children are the most important people in your life so hiring an attorney should not be your last step.  First, discuss all of your goals and concerns with your attorney.  Second, provide your attorney with as many facts regarding your history with the children as possible. Third, provide your attorney with a list of witnesses who can testify about your positive relationship with your children.  Good witnesses are teachers, coaches, neighbors and friends you spend a lot of time with, and … Continue reading →

To get divorced in North Carolina a lawsuit has to be filed with the courts and served (meaning formally delivered) to your spouse.  There are three (3) primary ways to serve someone with divorce papers:  by sheriff, certified mail or acceptance of service.  If you do not know where your spouse is staying or working or you have tried all possible leads and you have been unable to get them served, you will need to publish a notice in the local newspaper where your spouse was last known to be living.  This process is called Notice by Publication.  Once you … Continue reading →

You do not have to have your spouse’s consent to obtain a divorce; however, there are several facts that must exist in order to get divorced.  In North Carolina, a husband or wife can file for divorce so long as the parties have been physically separated for more than a year with at least one of the parties intending to remain separate and apart, at least one of you has been a citizen and resident of the State of North Carolina for at least 6 months prior to filing the action and the other spouse is not an active member … Continue reading →

I have been asked by several clients if they or the other parent can keep their child or children from visiting with the other parent if they are concerned about the Coronavirus. Since the impact of COVID-19 is unprecedented, there are no hard and fast rules but first and foremost, if your custody terms are in a court order, you should follow the terms of the order. Neither party is allowed to unilaterally change or violate the terms of the court’s order. If the child has been exposed to the coronavirus, then the parents should discuss whether the exchange can … Continue reading →

In most if not all counties in North Carolina, including Guilford, Mecklenburg, New Hanover and Wake County, travel for purposes of exchanging children pursuant to a custody agreement or court order is permitted. You should check your particular county’s Shelter in Place policy, but most likely exchanges for purposes of exercising custodial agreements are permitted. If Shelter in Place rules prevent you from exchanging at the location designated in your agreement such as inside a restaurant or at a local park that is closed, you may need to move the designated meeting place to another spot. Be sure to communicate … Continue reading →

If you are separated or you’re considering separating from your husband or wife in North Carolina, one of the first questions you’ll get from an attorney is “what was your date of separation?”  One of the reasons is that spouses are presumptively entitled to one-half of all “marital property.”  Marital property includes real estate, bank accounts, vehicles and even lottery tickets that are acquired with marital funds or by marital efforts from the date of marriage to the date of separation. You may have read recently that a Michigan man who bought a Mega Million lottery ticket prior to separating … Continue reading →

In North Carolina, you and your spouse have to be separated from one another with the intent of at least one of you to remain permanently separate and apart.  Once you reach the one year’s separation, filing for divorce is fairly straightforward. But SHOULD you file just because the year has passed?  Things you should consider before filing are:  (1) will you lose health insurance coverage under your spouse’s plan?(2) do you have property you want distributed to you or debt you want distributed to your husband or wife?(3) do you need financial support in the form of alimony from … Continue reading →

Although every retirement plan has its own rules, generally all of your assets and debts are added up and divided. North Carolina is a “no fault” property state so in most cases, all marital assets and debts will be divided equally. If you or your husband or wife has retirement benefits but one has more or is receiving more assets from other sources such as real property or bank accounts, a rollover from one spouse to the other can be used to equalize the spouses’ assets. The rollover is a non-taxable transfer and practically the non-participant spouse gets an account … Continue reading →

Most of the rules you learned in kindergarten apply in child custody cases: for example: 1) be kind to others; 2) if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all; 3) be respectful and 4) share your toys. Child custody cases are emotionally charged and it is normal to want to show the court you are a great parent and your spouse is a terrible parent if you are trying to win primary physical custody of your children. But, judges are looking for the parent who puts his or her children first and who is not fighting for … Continue reading →

If you are fortunate enough to have a pension through a present or previous employer, some or all of it may be marital property subject to division upon separation and divorce from your spouse if you worked for the company offering the pension during your marriage. A pension plan is a type of annuity that will pay the employee a monthly benefit upon retirement. If the employee separates from his or her spouse prior to retiring, the non-employee spouse may want to be compensated for half the value of the pension because it is subject to a division pursuant to … Continue reading →