Can you be awarded alimony when your spouse abuses alcohol to the point that your life has become unbearable? Like all issues in the legal field, it depends. What Does the Law Say? North Carolina General Statute § 50-16.3A states that, upon the court determining that one party is the…
Let’s suppose that you provided funds, checks, cash, or other payments to your ex since separation. You have a claim pending for equitable distribution, which seeks to divide your marital property. But court is slow and it can take some time for the court to reach your case. When it…
Suozzo v. Suozzo, 2022-NCCOA-620. Facts: Plaintiff wife and Defendant husband entered into a separation agreement wherein Defendant was to pay Plaintiff $200,000 in monthly installments over 240 months. This arrangement began in March 2006 and would terminate in March of 2026. For the first 18-36 months, Defendant made the monthly…
Hill v. Durrett, 2022-NCCOA-460. Facts: Plaintiff and Defendant were married in a friend’s backyard in 2015, and just 14 months later the couple separated. The backyard ceremony was officiated by a Ms. Plante, who was a Reiki master known as Azera Moonhawk. Ms. Plante was Defendant’s friend and was a…
During a stage presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last week, Olivia Wilde was handed a yellow envelope marked “Personal and Confidential.” Wilde was discussing her upcoming film Don’t Worry Darling when the ordeal transpired, confusing both Wilde and the audience. Out of curiosity, she opened the envelope to see…
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…
Wooten v. Wooten, III, 2022-NCCOA-121, (unpublished). Here in North Carolina, separation agreements are treated the same as contracts. This means the parties can be more flexible with their terms and agreements, not necessarily confined to the stricter terms that a court order would typically proscribe. One such provision is the…
It is no secret that millennials often get a bad rap. As one of the largest generations in history, their influence in the world is far-reaching. Growing up in rapidly changing times has meant that millennials have redefined many aspects of life, with priorities and expectations drastically different from previous…
Recently, I have been giving thought to how increases in separate property values through the active work of a spouse is considered during equitable distribution. As a refresh, the goal of a trial court in divorce is to classify all property owned on the date of separation, value it, and…
“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” – Mary Shelley. Change can be positive or negative. Everyone will experience it, and everyone grows from it. Divorce and separation are very big changes. For some, it is an upheaval of life itself, and of…