Logue v. Logue, No. COA19-831 (unpublished opinion) One of the most important issues dealt with by experienced family law and divorce attorneys across the country, and especially in the Piedmont Triad, is the division of property (also known as equitable distribution). When there are shared business interests, the valuation of…
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Unpredictable Bonuses and Alimony
Finn v. Finn, COA 19-520 (Unpublished opinion) Alimony can be a complex element in divorce. How much is fair and reasonable, how it is categorized for tax purposes, or even whether it is owed at all are matters often left to the discretion of judges. Here in the Piedmont area…
Subject Matter Jurisdiction Still Matters
Hamdan v. Freitekh, ______ N.C. App. _______ (2020) (COA19-929). Here in North Carolina, and across the nation, the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) sets the jurisdictional rules for how and where custody orders are enforced. The cardinal rule in custody cases has always been, and continues to be,…
The Wife Who Cried Wolf
Welwood v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2019113, 2019 WL 4187568 (2019) (a) Facts: Husband and wife were married in 1973. They separated in Florida 2003 and signed an agreement dividing their property. In the agreement, the husband conveyed to the wife a 50% interest in certain real estate partnerships. The partnerships…
What Defines Abuse for Innocent Spouse Relief?
HeydonGrauss v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 2018209, 2018 WL 6720943 (2018) (a) Facts: Husband and wife filed joint tax returns for tax years 2005 to 2009. They separated on 2010 and were divorced in 2015. The parties did not enclose full payment with their 2005-2009 tax returns until 2010. The wife…
Keyloggers and Spying on Your Spouse in North Carolina
Are you concerned that your spouse or significant other may be having an affair? Have you thought about using spying software to track their online activity? Before you take that step there are Federal and North Carolina laws that could expose you to both civil and criminal charges. Before we…
Baker Stops the Show: Estoppel and Separation Agreements
In our practice in Greensboro, North Carolina, it is not uncommon for the parties in a divorce to agree verbally to a change in child support payments. Read on to see how such an apparent show of comity may not hold up in the eyes of the court. Baker v.…
Timing Is Everything!
Asad v. Comm’r, T.C. Memo. 201780, 2017 WL 2211215 (2017), aff’d, 751 F. App’x 339 (3d Cir. 2018) (a) Facts: A husband and wife owned rental properties. Each spouse was responsible for some of the properties. They filed joint tax returns in which they claimed losses on the properties. The…
Shak v. Shak: Shaking Things Up in Child Custody
Shak v. Shak, ____ Mass. _____, SJC-12748 (2020). Nondisparagement clauses are ubiquitous in custody agreements and orders. Generally, they are a blanket prohibition on a parent from “talking bad” about the other parent in a form that the minor child(ren) will understand (whether in their presence or on social media,…
Equitable Distribution: Patterson Saves Retirement
Does the entry of a court-ordered equitable distribution create an interest to a retirement asset? Do you even need to file a DRO or QDRO when an equitable distribution consent order is signed by a judge? See how the North Carolina Court of Appeals saves the award of the marital…