The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently considered whether the word “represent” requires that a Guardian Ad Litem must actually be present at the hearing on whether the court would terminate the parental rights of the Father. In this case, the termination of parental rights was reversed based on the…
The North Carolina Court of Appeals overturned a ruling which established child custody using the “best interests of the child” analysis when it should have applied the “substantial change in circumstances” analysis for a motion to modify child custody. In December 2006 the trial court entered a custody order which…
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently decided a case relating to a motion to modify child custody custody in Cherry v. Thomas. The Mother’s child custody lawyer filed a motion to modify child custody. The trial court denied Mother’s motion to modify custody. The trial court held that there…
According to a Pew Research Center analysis of the most recent Census Bureau data, the number of children in the United States being raised by their grandparents rose sharply as the recession began. In all, approximately 7 million children live in households that include at least one grandparent. Of that…
Now you can buy divorce insurance to cover your divorce attorney fees. The average cost of an American divorce this year ranged from about $15,000 to $30,000. As a result, the North Carolina-based insurance company SafeGuard Guaranty Corporation is now selling a divorce insurance product called WedLock. A unit of…
A recent study released in the October issue of the Journal of Family Issues indicates that career women who are the family breadwinners are nearly 40% more likely to get a divorce than women without the same economic resources. This study, based on data covering 25 years, examines the relationship…
The definition of a family in America is critical, especially in Charlotte, North Carolina – it can affect tax filings, adoption proceedings, employment benefits, inheritance rights, and many other legal matters. A majority of Americans now say that their definition of a “family” includes same-sex couples with children, as well…
This Charlotte child custody lawyer observes that a current custody case being heard by the North Carolina Supreme Court could decide whether North Carolina state law allows a certain kind of adoption by same-sex couples in North Carolina. Senator Julia Boseman and her ex-partner, Melissa Jarrell, are litigating custody issues…
As every good Charlotte divorce lawyer knows, preexisting individual debt can break up an engagement or lead to divorce. Even when individuals planning to marry disclose their debt to one another, the couple can face many future financial challenges. Today, even people without graduate degrees are finding themselves saddled with…
This Charlotte divorce attorney found that according to a recent article in the New York Times, divorce is everywhere these days, and Americans are enjoying taking part in vicarious divorce. Our culture is both surrounded and fascinated by it. The biggest adult film of the summer, “Eat Pray Love,” centers…