There are four traditional “heart balm torts” that are now only recognized by a handful of states: alienation of affection, criminal conversation, seduction, and breach of promise to marry. North Carolina is one of seven states that still allows claims for alienation of affection. Alienation of affection laws in this…
Five states and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage and, consequently, same-sex divorce, but same-sex couples who wish to divorce in states that do not recognize their marriages are now facing significant legal hurdles. Many same-sex couples remain in marital limbo while states across the country are struggling…
A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center offers a fascinating look at the changing demographics of motherhood in the United States by comparing women who gave birth in 2008 with those who gave birth in 1990, on the basis of data collected from the National Center for Health…
As recently reported by MSNBC, the traditional “how we met” stories told by couples may be an accurate predictor of whether marital strife lies ahead. Studies show that every couple’s back story reveals a great deal about the present state of their relationship, depending on how each individual spouse tells…
As recently reported by The Washington Post, some married couples are now deciding to wait out the economic downturn rather than suffer the financial consequences of divorce. Alternatively, many spouses who desire to go their separate ways are turning to different options, such as living together while considering themselves technically…
As previously discussed on this blog (Social Networking and Divorce in Charlotte, North Carolina), social networking sites are redefining domestic litigation for many married or divorcing users. However, the rapid rise in popularity of social networking sites is also taking a toll on marital relations in general, by lessening society’s…
In this issue of our Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog Family Law Newsletter, we take a look at post-divorce issues such as automatic child support payments and changing beneficiaries on insurance policies and accounts. We also take a look at how taking a lower paying job will not always reduce child…
As reported by the New York Daily News, living together before marriage doesn’t significantly raise likelihood of divorce. A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics, based on the National Survey of Family Growth, indicates that living together before marriage doesn’t necessarily increase the risk of divorce. However,…
As reported by the Jacksonville Daily News (Judges Say Abuse List Challenge Not Good Enough), last week, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the state’s procedures in place for a person to challenge their addition to the “Responsible Individuals List” violates the state constitution by denying due…
The recent rise in popularity of social networking websites has redefined the definition of privacy for many users. Unfortunately, as recently reported by Time Magazine in two different articles (Facebook and Divorce: Airing the Dirty Laundry and Five Facebook No-Nos for Divorcing Couples), social networking sites are also contributing to…