Historically, there tends to be an increase in impaired driving over St. Paddy’s Day. The police are out in force looking for impaired drivers so make sure that if you plan to go out drinking, you have a way to get home safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a number of suggestions for drivers…

It can be difficult being a teenager who feels independent in most of their day-to-day life but is still subject to the rules of living in their parents’ household. Until an individual turns 18 years old, they are generally under their parent’s legal and physical custody. Similarly, the parents are legally and financially responsible for…

Prenuptial agreements can be helpful for couples to plan for how property is treated if the couple ever gets a divorce. Increasingly, individuals are concerned about pet ownership in a divorce. So-called “pet-nups” could provide for pet ownership when a married couple separates. If you have any questions about pet ownership, property division, or alimony after a divorce,…

Drinking alcohol is not uncommon for married couples. While some couples drink regularly, others abstain from drinking any alcohol at all. Alcohol use can impact marital satisfaction and divorce rates. According to a study by researchers at the University of Buffalo, when one partner drinks heavily and the other partner does not, there is a higher…

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…

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…

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…

A proposed bill would make it illegal to use a phone or other mobile device while driving. The Hands-Free NC Act, House Bill (HB) 144 has passed the House and now awaits approval in the senate. Using a phone while driving could lead to getting pulled over by the police. As with any traffic stop,…

When most couples are negotiating child custody and visitation schedules, they focus on family-oriented holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, other holidays can be just as important for children and Halloween is a favorite holiday of many kids. Kids (and some adults) get excited about the one day where they can dress up as a…