In civil cases, such as divorces and equitable distribution matters, the defendant must be served with the summons and complaint prior to the date of the hearing. While process servers and the local Sheriff’s department can serve legal documents, you may also be able to serve the opposing party by mail. Continue reading →
The digital age has greatly increased the amount of information we generate and store. Metadata is a set of data that describes and gives information about other data. Metadata holds immense potential in various fields, including family law. Leveraging metadata in family law cases can provide crucial insights and evidence that may influence the outcome of legal proceedings.
Metadata refers to the underlying information about a file or document, such as the date and time it was created, modified, or accessed, as well as details regarding its author or location. In the context of family law cases, metadata can include the participants in electronic communications, times, dates, lengths, social media posts, GPS location data, and other digital footprints left behind by individuals involved in the case. Continue reading →
In our last post, we wrote and talked about the basics of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. They have some value on the market, and when things have value there will be a fight. When I first heard that a Nyan cat NFT sold for hundreds of thousands, and then when a simple picture of a Shiba Inu dog (the image at the heart of the the memecoin dogecoin and, predating that, just the general doge meme) also sold for a bunch of money, I began to wonder how copyright worked in this new NFT realm. Clearly, there was an artist that created the Nyan cat gif/meme/video, just like there would be a dog owner and photographer for the Shiba. Who should be getting paid from the sale of the associated NFTs? Continue reading →
We’ve recently been writing about virtual currency, blockchains, and a regulatory sandbox for Fintechs. If you follow any of those topics with interest, you’ll very likely have heard of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. NFTs are no longer questionable internet pictures but have moved into the mainstream. (Even Dolce & Gabbana has joined the NFT bandwagon.) Whether the trend has staying power is another question, but to early investors the NFT world is one filled with opportunity. Continue reading →
North Carolina recently enacted a new law that formed a regulatory sandbox for financial and insurance technologies (often termed Fintech and Insuretech). It also commissioned the formation of an “Innovation Council” that serves to receive and approve applications for “entry” into the so-called sandbox. This new law will be codified in NCGS § 169. Continue reading →
In case you have not heard, deepfake videos are multiplying online. “Deepfake” is a term coined in late 2017 by a Reddit user of the same name. With origins in pornography, the use of deepfakes has transcended well beyond the explicit. A deepfake generally refers to media manipulation where a person in an image or video is swapped with another person’s likeness. A more recent deepfake depicts Belgium’s prime minister linking the coronavirus pandemic to climate change during a manipulated recorded speech. Although some deepfakes are created for parody and entertainment, others are not. Creation of deepfakes has also led to bullying, harassment, and other criminal offenses. Continue reading →
Everyone knows how COVID has affected our daily routine and forced an increase in the use of technology. The court system and attorneys have adopted technology to keep cases moving forward. At the beginning of this process, attorneys discovered that using virtual meetings to conduct client consults and client meetings was not only effective in preventing exposure to COVID but, in the long run, could increase productivity without losing the human interaction or attorney-client bond. Continue reading →
Looking for a new way to organize or connect? Here are some of the best apps for families.
Dear Carolyn,
My ex is all over Facebook about what she did with the kids during Spring Break. She apparently took some young woman with her to babysit so she could spend more time with her boyfriend on the Florida beach. She posted my little boy “buck naked” on the beach on Facebook. She posted her “babysitter—young woman” drinking beer with at least a dozen empty beer cans in the background. She posted a picture of her boyfriend and her entwined on the beach on a blanket. And to top it all off, she posted a picture of her new engagement ring from him, and we are not even divorced. Continue reading →
Dear Readers,
Internet addiction is here and is real! I would like to hear from you on this topic. Do you know that a Kaiser Family Foundation study showed that two-thirds of parents have no rules on internet use, particularly internet use unrelated to homework and research? Today’s second Ask Carolyn continues a discussion of this topic.
Dear Carolyn,
North Carolina Divorce Lawyers Blog