“Behind the Bar” is a multi-part blog series that will focus on specific aspects of the practice of law ranging from the Rules of Evidence, Rules of Civil Procedure, and other important legal practice technicalities in an effort to provide readers a better understanding of regularly overlooked and misunderstood concepts…
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Behind the Bar: You’ve Been Served- A Lesson on Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (pt. 1)
“Behind the Bar” is a multi-part blog series that will focus on specific aspects of the practice of law ranging from the Rules of Evidence, Rules of Civil Procedure, and other important legal practice technicalities in an effort to provide readers a better understanding of regularly overlooked and misunderstood concepts…
The Clock is Ticking: Don’t Miss a Deadline
Dana M. Horlick, Attorney, Woodruff Family Law Group Whenever you become a party to a lawsuit, whether you are the Plaintiff or the Defendant, there are deadlines imposed by the Court, by statute, and by the Rules of Civil Procedure that are important to follow. There are deadlines whether you…
Even Brad Pitt Doesn’t Always Get What He Wants
By: Jennifer A. Crissman, Attorney, Woodruff Family Law GroupI must confess, as a family law attorney I cannot help reading about celebrity relationships. I find that even though it feels like celebrities are untouchable and have very different lives than our own when a celebrity relationship ends the same scenarios arise. Separation and divorce are the great equalizers,…
Court Attitudes Toward Premarital Agreements
Previous posts regarding premarital agreements have discussed what a premarital agreement is, and why an engaged couple might want to sign one. Simply summarized, a premarital agreement is a good idea when both parties want to change the rules of law that would otherwise apply when their marriage terminates upon…
Can your Friend or Family Member have Access to your Attorney-Client Materials? A Game Changer
By Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVA I’d like to bring a family member or friend to my meeting with my attorneys – can I do this? It is common for a North Carolina divorce client to want to bring a close friend or a close family member to a…
Dollar Signs and Divorce: Location, Location, Location
By: Dana Horlick, Attorney, Woodruff Family Law GroupIt’s that time of the year again, divorce season. The beginning of the year is the most popular time to file for divorce nationwide, not just here in Greensboro. Maybe it’s the end of the holiday season, the cold weather, being stuck in the house, or the kids being home…
Divisible Property in Equitable Distribution
North Carolina General Statutes Section 50-20(b) (4) defines divisible property. Divisible property covers certain values created post-separation. A husband that continued to work in a dental practice post-separation did not create active appreciation. Husband did not change anything about his business methods to increase business. The growth between the date…
Technicalities on “Death Termination” for Alimony Deduction (Wignall v. Comm’r)
by Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVANorth Carolina alimony statutes and state case law make technicalities on the “death” element of alimony under federal tax law difficult, and one needs to exercise extreme care when drafting a private alimony agreement or contract in North Carolina. Unlike many states, all alimony awards in North Carolina are not…
A Summary on Current law regarding Innocent Spouse and Thoughts on how this affects a North Carolina Divorce : Part 4 of 4 Parts
By Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVAThis article is part 4 of a series of articles regarding Innocent Spouse. This final blog on the basics of the current Innocent Spouse tax law will do two things: 1) summarize changes discussed in the first three articles; 2) give some practical guidance to attorneys, CPAs, and clients in…