legal custody

What is Parental Kidnapping?

Published on: April 10, 2019 | Matthew R. Arnold, Esq.

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.

Adoption by Stepparents in North Carolina

Published on: March 13, 2019 | Matthew R. Arnold, Esq.

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

Adoption is beautiful. Whether a family is adopting a child from foster care or a stepparent is adopting a child from the blended family, adoption is usually a process filled with happiness and love. However, the process of adopting another individual can also be difficult and confusing, especially for those step-parents who want to adopt a child. With the number of divorces occurring all across the United States, it is not surprising that there are more stepparents than ever who want to adopt the children they have helped in raising.

The NY/NJ Bombing Suspect Loses Custody Rights, But Child Keeps Name

Published on: October 11, 2016 | Matthew R. Arnold, Esq.

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What are my custody rights if the other parent moves?”

At long last, Maria Mena has won in her quest for full custody of the child she had with New York and New Jersey bombing suspect Ahmed Rahami when they were teenagers.

Chris Brown Receives Decisive Win in Custody Battle Over Daughter Royalty

Published on: August 25, 2016 | Matthew R. Arnold, Esq.

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

Love him or hate him, Chris Brown has reportedly won another round in his ongoing custody dispute with ex Nia Guzman concerning their two-year-old daughter Royalty.

Judge Issues Custody Order Barring Golf Practice

Published on: June 28, 2016 | Matthew R. Arnold, Esq.

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What are my custody rights if the other parent moves?”

As anyone who has ever been through a divorce with children knows, custody is almost always the thorniest issue to be resolved. Though it can be difficult to reach agreement with a spouse privately, it is often better to try this rather than hand your case over to a judge to decide. A recent custody decision out of Virginia illustrates this point well, with the judge handing down what many view as a bizarre order which says that the girl at the center of the custody dispute is prohibited from practicing or playing golf.

Do Stepparents Have to Pay Child Support?

Published on: February 9, 2016 | Matthew R. Arnold, Esq.

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “How is the amount of child support decided in North Carolina?”

We generally assume that the responsibility for supporting children financially falls squarely on the biological parents, either directly or through child support payments. Stepparents are seen as being in the clear, legally speaking, due to their lack of a blood relationship with the child. Though this is generally true, it is not always true, something that a recent case out of Pennsylvania demonstrated. To learn more about stepparents and their obligation to pay child support, keep reading.