Child custody disputes are among the most common family law matters in court. Yet, due to the sensitive nature of the relationships and the complexity of the law, these cases can yield very different outcomes depending on the smallest details. That is the case in Ludack v. Ludack, a 2024…
Nobody gets married thinking they will one day be sitting in a courtroom, arguing over who is better fit to take care of the kids. However, in cases where relationships fail, family courts focus primarily on determining which parent can truly give their children a secure and stable home. The…
Co-parents who weaponize their children don’t always get away with it, and Hasz v. Brittain is proof of that. A parent’s repeated disregard for court orders and intentional attempt to sabotage a child’s relationship with the other parent ultimately backfired in this North Carolina Court of Appeals case, leading to…
Healthcare givers know how demanding that career can be. From unpredictable schedules to long hours, life can be very overwhelming. Add to it the role of being a single parent and fitting everything in can feel impossible. In honor of National Caregivers Day, we want to honor American heroes who…
We all know divorce can be expensive. And with kids involved, the legal costs can add up even more rapidly because of custody and child support disputes. A recent North Carolina case, Stewart v. Brickman, helps explain when a court might order one parent to help pay for the other…
In this post, we will discuss the implications of the Aguilar v. Mayen case and why the North Carolina Court of Appeals has vacated a custody order. If you are a family lawyer, judge, or a parent in North Carolina, you’ll find this case important, especially from the perspective of how…
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted to protect the best interests of Native American children and promote the stability of Native families and tribes. It requires that courts make efforts to keep families intact and prioritize putting children in out-of-home placements that are within the child’s family or…
There are numerous factors courts must consider when making custody and visitation determinations, but the preeminent factor is the best interest of the child. In some cases, courts may weigh the child’s preference as part of their overall considerations, but this is handled on a case-by-case basis. The child’s age,…
By Paul K Mengert, II, JD Moving out is not a good first step to divorce. Moving out can seem like the obvious first step to ending an unhealthy relationship. But moving out has many potential repercussions for married individuals in North Carolina, making it an impulsive and bad decision.If…
May is National Pet Month, when we celebrate the special role pets play in our families and in our hearts. Divorce is rarely a smooth process, but when children or pets are involved, things can get nasty quickly. While custody arrangements around children often involve splitting time between the two…