On Thursday, May 5, I graduate from the University of North Carolina Greensboro! I am so excited and can’t wait for my close friends and family to watch as I finally get my bachelor’s degree. In the midst of all the graduation excitement, a friend of mine who is also…
So you filed for custody in Guilford County. What are going to be the steps to the trial? Step One: You file a Motion or Claim for Custody if there isn’t a Custody Order already. If there is a custody order, then you filed a Motion alleging a “substantial change…
Emergency Custody in North Carolina is a tough topic. Under North Carolina law, there are really two times that the court can consider switching custody on an ex parte (hearing from one side only). These two times are (1) the child is at risk for substantial bodily injury, or (2)…
“Mom, can I have the iPad?” “Dad, can I play on your phone?” How many times a day do you hear that? If you have kids, you’ve probably heard those exact words. My grandson loves to come home with me. Why? To play games on my phone. As you can…
Most separated couples probably do not think about complex jurisdictional issues when they are deciding child custody issues. Maybe the schedule is one week on, one week off, with the parents alternating weeks wherein they have sole physical custody of the child for a particular week. Maybe one parent has…
My husband Dwight prides himself on liking sappy Christmas movies, and he rents a lot of them. Ho-hum, I thought, but I was pleasantly surprised by the many social messages in Paper Angel. The movie starts with Mom (Lynn Brandt) moving far away from Dad with her two children—Sara and…
In court-ordered child custody mediation in North Carolina, agreement is the polar star. Both parents are applauded for entering a parenting agreement. The question is whether agreement is always in the best interests of the child. Certainly, we all want parents to agree, but there are certain times when agreements…
The time you spend with your children is precious and the upcoming Halloween weekend should be no exception. Here are a few fun ideas to make the most of this holiday. Activities for this spook-tacular holiday should be age appropriate. Also take into account the personalities of your children. A…
Dear Carolyn, I am a mother of girls ages six and ten. I am separated, and I have half custody. I work hard, and the girls sometimes create havoc. I spanked the six-year-old with a belt, just like my mother did me. My church belief is “spare the rod and…
Many prospective clients come to us with the question about “what does it really take to win my custody case in North Carolina?” This raises the interesting question of what is a “win” in custody of a minor child. “Winning” means different things to different parents. For some parents, it…