Stable and supportive environments are crucial to a child’s health and well-being. Having healthy relationships with their primary caregivers is also vital, as these relationships impact every part of their development.1 Grandparents often have established relationships with their grandchildren and volunteer to help with the many demands of raising a…
North Carolina does not require that unmarried or divorcing parents get a custody order.[1] When a mother or father has the designation of a legal parent, they both have the same rights when there is no order in place. Legal parent classification can be obtained in a number of ways,…
JOHNSON V. LAWING, 2023-NCCOA-______ (2023) When a minor child in the middle of a custody case attends therapy, sometimes those treatment records contain relevant and important facts that may aid a court in making a custody determination. However, not every case in which the child attends therapy means that the…
Divorce and child custody proceedings are often adversarial and challenging processes. With cases that involve high stakes and emotions, courts may decide to appoint a parenting coordinator. What is a Parenting Coordinator? A parenting coordinator is an impartial third party who helps in high-conflict cases[1]. The coordinator has the authority…
Military families face challenges that civilian-only families do not, and navigating family law matters is especially difficult when servicemembers are involved. How do North Carolina courts determine child custody when deployment is a possibility? It depends heavily on the individual circumstances, but here is a brief overview of relevant guidelines.…
Child custody is often a highly contentious topic in family law because of both parents’ and guardians’ strong desires to spend as much time as possible with their child. If you currently have a permanent custody order in place, you may be able to have it amended. However, while it…
Child support is an important aspect of providing for the needs of a child after a separation or divorce. It is essential for both parents to contribute to the financial needs of the child, and the state of North Carolina has established guidelines for determining the amount of child support…
In most cases here in North Carolina, child support has been reduced to an equation based upon guidelines that have been approved by the state. It is much like filing taxes—there are inputs for each parent’s income, the number of children, and the custodial schedule. Schedules are then used to…
Custody and parental rights are understandably sensitive topics, which is why having an experienced North Carolina custody lawyer on your side can make a difference. Determining custody of a child is a challenging process. There are numerous laws and considerations that are factored into a custody decision, and one recent…
When you file a claim for child custody in North Carolina, both parties must attend the Custody Mediation and Visitation Program pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-13.1. Upon completion of this program, the matter may then be set for hearing if the parties are unable to come to an…