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…

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…

What is Wrongful Death? When an accident claims the life of a victim in North Carolina, the family may have legal options available to recover damages. Wrongful death claims allow the victim’s estate to recover monetary damages from the person responsible for the fatal crash. Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit? While many states provide…