child custody attorney

Emergency Child Custody in North Carolina

Published on: May 18, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

Your child’s health and welfare are likely your biggest concern. When a child is in danger it is essential to take immediate action. When a child is in danger, you may file for emergency child custody. Emergency child custody is a request through the court system. The courts take child endangerment seriously and therefore they have a process in place to protect a child from harm. If you believe that the child is in danger you may file for emergency child custody. A child custody attorney will assist you with the request and will guide the process to protect the minor from any potential harm.

What is Parental Kidnapping?

Published on: April 10, 2019 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I keep my Kids from seeing the other parent?”

Hearing the word kidnapping in relation to your child can be utterly terrifying. When most people hear the term kidnapping, they probably think of a stranger abducting a child. Most people do not think of a kidnapping happening by one of the child’s own parents. They might think that a parent cannot kidnap his or her own child. However, parental kidnapping happens more frequently than one might think. In fact, parental kidnappings are not uncommon. Studies estimate that over the course of a year, 200,000 children were kidnapped by their own family members. An average of 800,000 children go missing each year. This breaks down to an average of about 2,000 children a day going missing.

Michigan Moves To Make Joint Custody Mandatory

Published on: June 21, 2017 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

Everyone knows that custody and visitation are among the most contentious parts of many divorces. Parents are understandably motivated to secure as much time as possible with their children and fight hard to ensure they are granted authority to make decisions about how their children will be raised. Though this makes perfect sense, many wonder if the process could be simplified (and made much less stressful) by eliminating the fight over custody entirely.

New Shared Parenting Law In Missouri Forbids Courts From Presuming Mothers Are More Fit Caregivers

Published on: September 8, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

A new “shared parenting” law in Missouri has further chipped away at the age-old assumption that the mother is the most fit primary caregiver in custody disputes: judges are now forbidden to base custody decisions on the gender of either parent. The state’s courts are also now required to develop statewide guidelines that will maximize the amount of time the child or children may spend with each parent.

Who pays for extracurricular activities in a divorce?

Published on: September 1, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How much does it cost to get divorced, and how does the billing process work?”

Some of the best Olympians on the world stage are children of divorced parents. Michael Phelps, Ryan Locthe, Gabby Douglas, you name ‘em. In each case, their parents had to figure out not only how to navigate the challenges of co-parenting an Olympic athlete, but how to divide up the costs and burdens of Olympic training. Given that Olympic training, with the coaches, the equipment, the travel, can cost tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, this can be a monumental undertaking. Thankfully, most divorced couples don’t have to worry about paying to get their kids into the Olympics. On a less extreme level, couples do have to consider how to tackle extracurricular expenses. To learn more about how to go about dividing up these extracurricular costs, keep reading.

Tennessee Judge Hears International Custody Dispute

Published on: April 19, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How does custody work if one parent moves internationally?”

A federal judge in Knoxville, TN recently found himself grappling with a case unlike any other he had encountered previously. The judge was forced to decide whether an international custody dispute would be decided by an American or Mexican family court. In the end, the judge decided that Mexico ought to resolve the matter, turning the page on one chapter of a more than three-year-old custody fight.

Study highlights the benefits of co-parenting

Published on: January 19, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

It’s a common refrain among those in unhappy marriages: staying together for the sake of the kids is the right thing to do. Though it’s noble that parents are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their children, it has become clear that the sacrifice is not only not necessary, but apparently not useful. A recent study by Swedish researchers indicates that children who are the products of divorced parents turn out just as well as those with married parents. In this case, the conventional wisdom that smiling through a bad marriage is good for the kids appears not to be true.