Whether it’s their first marriage or their fourth, most folks look back on the divorce process with a lot of pain and regret. In my almost thirty years of practice, I’ve seen some clients come through multiple times. I always ask about their last divorce process and what if anything we should do differently, or… Read More
North Carolina laws provide guidelines for determining the obligations parents have to support their children financially. The guidelines can be complicated to understand, and can be changed over time, as they were in January 2015. Parents who are new to child support often ask the following two questions: I have heard that there are different… Read More
No one wants a “War of the Roses” type of divorce, but unfortunately, they can and do happen. These divorces can costs tens of thousands of dollars in attorney fees. What’s worse is when divorces erupt into major battles that leave both parties—and their families—scarred for years. In almost 30 years of divorce practice, I… Read More
Are you interested in expanding your family, but are overwhelmed by the expense of adoption? You’re not alone, but the truth is, the cost of adoption may not be what you think. Comparing Costs of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Individuals and couples who wish to have a child, but are unable to do so naturally,… Read More
When the assets from your marriage are divided during the equitable distribution phase of the divorce, some of the most valuable assets may your spouse and your retirement plans. Great care must be followed in valuing and distributing the plans. Understanding Your Type of Retirement Plan Retirement plans are usually either defined contribution plans or… Read More
July 7, 2015, Goldwater Institute becomes the third to file a law suit to challenge the Constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and similar state laws that give abused and neglected Native American children fewer rights and protections than other American children. Part of this project will be a class action lawsuit. “When… Read More
Is your spouse behaving in a way that is excessive and is therefore making your life and the lives of your children intolerable ? One option for securing possession of the marital residence is via a divorce from bed and board. Before going further, it should be made clear that this is not an absolute… Read More
Thirty years ago, when a woman had an unplanned pregnancy, she often was sent to a convent or a maternity home. Later, her family and friends did not discuss the fact that she ever gave birth. With the typical closed or confidential adoption, she had no contact with the child after it was adopted. On… Read More
The press has adopted (no pun intended) the phrase re-homing to describe a situations when a child is adopted, that adoption is disrupted, and the child is placed in a different home. A much kinder description is disrupted adoption or second placement adoption. The term has also been applied to any parent-child relationship when the… Read More