North Carolina Divorce Lawyers Blog

Articles Tagged with divorce

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Toussaint v. King, COA19-851 (2020) (unpublished).

In North Carolina, a court has the ability to incarcerate a party for not following a court order. This procedure is called civil contempt. In order to send a party to jail for noncompliance, the court first must find specific facts. For one case of civil contempt for failure to make child support payments, the court did incarcerate the father. Continue reading →

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No. COA19-493 (unpublished)

Plaintiff-Father Alex Harter and Defendant-Mother Hayley Eggleston were never married but are the parents of one child, born in 2010. Father and Mother lived together from December 2009 until separating in September 2012. Since separating in September 2012, disagreements regarding the minor child’s custody have resulted in contentious litigation. Plaintiff-Father initiated action in Moore County, North Carolina. After the court entered a consent order on January 31, 2013, Defendant-Mother and the minor child moved to Ohio. On November 5, 2018, Mother filed a verified “Motion to Remove” the case to the State of Ohio because North Carolina was an inconvenient forum. Plaintiff-Father appealed from the trial court’s decision that North Carolina was an inconvenient forum and that Ohio was a more convenient forum. Continue reading →

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Stowe v. Stowe, ___ N.C. App. ___ (2020).

In North Carolina, Equitable Distribution (ED) is one of the mechanisms by which former spouses separate their personal and real property. What if the during the marriage one party opens a business? Unlike other forms of property, businesses have reputations that are carefully cultivated, patrons, and other intangibles that make the business more valuable than what can be accounted for on paper. Courts call this factor Goodwill. An expert witness may testify as to how to arrive at a value for Goodwill. In the case below, we explore how one court handled expert witnesses for Goodwill for an insurance company. Continue reading →

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As we proceed through the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, domestic violence incidents have increased in North Carolina. Isolation and lockdown likely have exacerbated conditions that may have already been present in a rocky relationship. Financial woes and job losses have only added to the stress. Domestic violence and violence against intimate partners have been on the rise. Here, we will briefly discuss how the Court can grant emergency relief for the victims of domestic violence. Continue reading →

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The Greensboro and High Point area is fortunate to be served by Family Service of the Piedmont, a local non-profit agency providing families and individuals affordable services in dealing with domestic violence, mental health, child abuse, and financial stability issues. Continue reading →

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One form of domestic violence occurring between current or former dating partners or spouses is intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence (IPV), according to the CDC, affects one out of every four women and one out of every seven men. IPV includes psychological or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, or stalking. Many victims of IPV experience sexual and/or physical violence or stalking before age 18. Continue reading →

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October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Although many find comfort and sanctuary within their own home, others do not because of physical violence by a partner. By U.S. Department of Justice estimates, approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men endure physical violence by the action of a partner every year. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is an outstanding resource for individuals to call for help and guidance if they are experiencing domestic abuse. Continue reading →

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Divorce is no stranger among the stars and starlets in Hollywood. Lately, it appears that celebrity couples are finding difficulty navigating the unknowns brought about by COVID-19. Divorce rates in the U.S. have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic as couples find themselves together at home around the clock with nowhere to go. The added stress of unemployment, illness, and homeschooling of children has created a significant strain on relationships—especially those that are frequently under the microscope of public scrutiny. Continue reading →

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Doyle v. Doyle, 176 N.C. App. 547 (2006)

Sometimes, what kicks off a divorce is not a slow descent into a frustrating marriage, but instead a jarring and violent incident that cannot be reconciled. Domestic Violence Protective Orders (DVPO) can be granted to spouses that fear for their or their minor children’s safety. A DVPO plays a major role in a divorce case that includes claims for child custody. In North Carolina, our laws require that judges in child custody proceedings consider acts of domestic violence and safety of the child when making determinations. Is it fair for a judge in custody to allow new arguments for a settled case? Below, we discuss the implications of such a DVPO on child support through the lens of a legal doctrine called collateral estoppel.

(a) Facts: Plaintiff husband and Defendant wife married in 2001 and had one child together. They separated in 2003 and a complaint for child custody and support was filed in 2004. During this period, the parties alternated custody of the minor child on their own accord. On one such exchange, Plaintiff was at Defendant’s home to pick up the child when Defendant tried to prevent them leaving by trying to remove the child from Plaintiff’s arms. Defendant struck Plaintiff’s groin, and Plaintiff responded with his own use of force. Police were called and Defendant filed for a DVPO. Plaintiff filed a counterclaim for the same. Temporary custody was awarded to Defendant. In the DVPO hearing, the trial court Judge Mull found that Defendant had initiated the altercation, thus dismissing Defendant’s complaint and granting Plaintiff’s. In 2004, a hearing was conducted for the issues of child custody and support. At that hearing, trial court Judge Sigmon disagreed with Judge Mull, and ordered Defendant have primary physical custody. Plaintiff appealed.

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Rolls v. Rolls, 706 S.E.2d 842 (2010) (unpublished)

In North Carolina, Equitable Distribution can be settled without ever needing to step into the courthouse. Separation Agreements and Property Settlements are common ways to resolve the issues incident to a divorce. They are the will of the parties in a separation, distilled onto paper. They are contracts, and there are very precise rules for formation and enforcement of contracts. As we see below, a separation agreement may have been faulty, but it was the actions of a party that doomed his own arguments.

(a) Facts: Plaintiff wife and Defendant husband married in 1980 and separated in 2007. The parties filed a separation agreement in 2007, where they waived equitable distribution and acknowledged that both parties made full disclosure of all assets and debts. However, during the absolute divorce portion of their case, Defendant pled that there was in fact not a full disclosure of facts, and he requested equitable distribution in a counterclaim. In 2009, the trial court entered a Domestic Relations Order whereby half of Plaintiff’s IRA would be transferred to Defendant in accordance with the 2007 separation agreement. Plaintiff then filed a motion for summary judgment to dismiss the counterclaim, which was granted. Defendant appealed.

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