Year: 2019
A divorce can still come as a big surprise for many spouses. A spouse may have been acting differently for months or years, or there could have been no obvious signs that there was anything wrong with the relationship. However, hindsight often provides clues that one spouse had been thinking about a divorce for some…
January is sometimes called “divorce month,” because there tends to be an increase in the number of divorces filed in the first month of the new year. With the holidays fast approaching, many couples who have been having troubles come together again for the family and kids. However, after the new year, many of the…
For a long time, every state in the country had the same legal limit for impaired drivers, including North Carolina. A driver is over the limit if he or she had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. However, Utah has recently lowered its legal limit to 0.05% BAC and other states are…
Christmas is supposed to be a time for joy, family gatherings, and watching kids open presents under the tree. Unfortunately for parents involved in custody disputes, Christmas can be a stressful time and lead to fights between parents, family members, and children. If you are involved in a child custody dispute and worry about what…
Earlier this month, we discussed North Carolina’s new “raise the age” law for juveniles. The raise the age law would no longer automatically try suspects under the age of 18 as adults. However, the legislature has also signed a number of other laws that apply to juvenile justice and teen court access. If your child is…
Retirement benefits are a unique asset in North Carolina divorce cases. Retirement benefits may consist of Social Security benefits, 401(k) savings, IRAs, a pension, or other types of retirement savings. These may have accumulated before and during the marriage. For people under the age of retirement, it may still be a number of years before…
An article in the New York Times is telling readers what North Carolina criminal defense lawyers have known for years about breath testing for drunk driving: “These Machines Can Put You in Jail. Don’t Trust Them.” Unfortunately, many drivers rely on these faulty tests and the claims of the prosecutor to plead guilty to driving while impaired (DWI),…
North Carolina is the last state to adopt a “raise the age” law. Under the new law, teenagers under the age of 18 will no longer be automatically tried as adults in court. Session Law 2019-186 was enacted on August 1, 2019, and will go into effect on December 1, 2019. Changes Under the Raise the Age…
Divorce can be a time for major upheaval in your life. A divorce can result in changes to your living situation, support system, time with your children, and financial status. However, major life changes can also be the catalyst for deciding to get separated or divorced. Major life events, like suffering a terminal illness, recovering…
Alimony can represent a significant post-divorce expense, possibly for decades into the future. In the past, alimony payments were deductible for the supporting spouse and helped offset the expense of providing monthly payments to the dependent spouse. However, after a change to the tax law, alimony payments will no longer be tax-deductible for divorce agreements…