Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant As the conflict in Ukraine enters its fourth week, it has become clear that determined Ukrainian resistance has slowed the Russian advance. The initial Russian “shock and awe” campaign was a failure, and as a result Putin has been forced to regroup and reassess. Reports…
Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant Risen v. Risen, COA19-342 (N.C. Court App. 2020) The legal term “contempt of court” describes situations when an individual either willfully refuses to follow or otherwise fails to obey a legally binding order issued by a court. North Carolina recognizes two types of contempt: criminal contempt…
Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant The hard work and sacrifices of American men and women in uniform are undeniable. Over the past 20 years, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have taken an immeasurable toll on those who served. About 1% of Americans shouldered the load for the entire nation…
Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant STEWART v. STEWART, 141 NC App. 236 Dividing assets collected throughout a marriage is an unfortunate but necessary undertaking with divorce. This process can cause conflict, especially when the asset was brought into the marriage by one party. In North Carolina, a business stake or an…
Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant Graham v. Jones Child custody issues can be confusing and difficult to navigate. This is especially true when grandparents seek custody of a grandchild. Grandparents find themselves with questions regarding child custody and their rights and often do not know where to begin. Would it be…
Williams v. Johnson, 2022-NCCOA-120 (2022) (unpublished). Facts: Mother and Father were in a custody case over their minor child. On April 28, 2017, Mother was awarded primary custody, and Father received visitation. A few years later, on August 11, 2020, the trial court modified the custody but later vacated their…
Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant King v. Huizar (In re Huizar), 609 BR 482 Only a handful of states still recognize alienation of affection and criminal conversation as actionable torts. North Carolina is one of those states. These claims have their roots in old English law, where a man could essentially…
Imagine separating from your husband but never filing for divorce. Now imagine separating from your husband, never filing for divorce, and learning years later that you had actually been divorced for approximately 12 years. This is exactly what happened to a woman living in the United Kingdom. Rachpal and…
Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant Williams v. Williams, 261 S.E.2d 849 (1980) Alimony (also called spousal support in North Carolina) is a form of financial support awarded during a divorce proceeding and serves as a means to assist a dependent spouse post marriage. A “dependent spouse” is a person substantially reliant…
By: Wayne Hopper, Legal Assistant In celebration of Black History Month, Woodruff Family Law Group wants to shine a light on important contributions to African American advancement in the legal world and on the civil rights movement in general. It would be difficult to have that discussion without mentioning former…