Child support calculations in North Carolina are based primarily on the income of each parent. In making an initial child support order after an absolute divorce or separation, the court will generally require a financial disclosure from each parent. This information, along with other factors, will be used to calculate which parent pays support and the amount…

Dealing with child custody and visitation with an ex can be hard enough. When the ex gets remarried or starts dating a new partner, that new person can complicate how parents handle child custody. In some cases, the new partner could be a negative influence on the child, and the other parent has to seek…

After an arrest for drunk driving in North Carolina, the police or state troopers will generally ask for a breath or blood sample. The driver may be wary of giving a breath test because the test results can be inaccurate and it may show the driver was over the legal limit. Alternatively, the driver may…

Recently, DNA testing submitted to private crime labs has been used to solve cases by the FBI and state agencies. In some cases, DNA submitted by relatives that you did not consent to testing by the government has even been used to investigate and solve crimes. Cold Cases and DNA Testing Many cases have remained…

The United States Supreme Court has granted certiorari to review whether or not a warrantless blood draw from an unconscious person is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.  Police must obtain a warrant to conduct most searches, including that of a person’s home or vehicle…

The New York Police Department wants an application called Waze to stop sharing information about police sobriety checkpoints with drivers. In response, Waze claims that the app is designed to show information about general police presence, not sobriety checkpoints specifically. What is the Waze App? Developed by Google, the app uses real-time information from reports submitted by…

You come home from work and find a package on your doorstep. Then you realize that it isn’t addressed to you. It’s addressed to your neighbor down the street, and it was delivered to your house by mistake. What do you do? Can you keep a mis-delivered holiday package? In North Carolina, the answer is…

While many people enjoy spending holidays with family and friends, the increased car travel and consumption of alcohol make the roadways especially precarious. This means your chances of being involved in a car accident increases during this time of year. North Carolina Car Accident Statistics In 2017, there were over 275,000 car accidents state-wide, according to North Carolina…

Children are always affected when their parents make the decision to get a divorce. Not only do parents have to figure out how to divide marital property, but they must also figure out who gets to spend time with the kids and when. Child custody arrangements are an essential component of a divorce. North Carolina prefers parents…

Every so often there is a traumatic event that inspires lawmakers to reform or shape legislation. These events blaze headlines and highlight issues pertaining to laws or systems that many people were not previously aware of. The death of North Carolina toddler, Ryland Ott, was one of many horrific events that have invoked change in…