Child Custody

The Wake County Family Court has issued a memo on court-ordered custody exchanges of minor children and how the COVID-19 pandemic affects it. The memo is below, or you can download the full PDF here. In light of Chief Justice Beasley’s recent announcement, the subsequent courtroom closures, and the new “stay at home” directives, we … Read more

When North Carolina parents have ended their marriage, they will likely still share custody of their children. At some point, they must physically exchange custody. The actual exchange of the children can be dangerous, especially if one or both parents are not able to resolve their differences. Usually, the parenting agreement outlines the exact place … Read more

North Carolina parents who get a divorce may initially focus on living near one another so that their children’s lives are less disrupted, but that might change if one parent begins a relationship with someone who does not live nearby. That parent might eventually decide to move to live closer or with their new partner. … Read more

In North Carolina and throughout the U.S., grandparents play an important part in the lives of their grandchildren. While relationships vary from family to family, in many cases, grandparents provide emotional assistance, child rearing help and even provide financial support. Due to the complexities of modern family life, there are situations in which an existing … Read more

When North Carolina parents are going through a divorce, disagreements over custody and visitation are not uncommon. However, knowing what to expect might help both parents make the transition more smoothly. In some cases, courts will order fixed visitation for the noncustodial parent. This might be weekends, weekday evenings or merely holidays. This might be … Read more

North Carolina fans of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt may be following their divorce and dispute over child custody. On Sept. 14, there was allegedly an altercation on a private jet involving Pitt. Less than a week later, Jolie filed for divorce. Pitt has denied that such an incident took place. In the meantime, … Read more

North Carolina parents who are getting a divorce and who are also dealing with domestic violence might want to consider some myths that surround abuse and child custody. For example, a separation does not always result in a child being safe from domestic violence. One expert says she has often seen a parent try to … Read more

It is not unusual for divorced parents in North Carolina to have divergent ideas about the best way to raise their children. In this modern era of constant electronic stimulation, that can mean the two parents have different conceptions of how much internet time is appropriate and how many video games a child should be … Read more

If North Carolina parents who are going through a divorce cannot reach an agreement about child custody outside of court, a family court judge must rule on the matter. When a judge makes a ruling about primary physical custody, the judge typically favors the parent that is the child’s primary caretaker. To determine who has … Read more

Divorcing parents often hope to avoid protracted and bitter legal disputes and get through the process amicably and quickly, but these hopes are sometimes dashed when it comes time to discuss child custody and visitation. These disputes can also place the children involved in a very difficult position, and even North Carolina parents that have … Read more

When a North Carolina judge deals with a contentious divorce situation involving issues such as one parent claiming that the other has abused their child, there can be challenges in assessing the validity of such a claim. In some cases, allegations of child abuse may be justified and accurate. In others, however, a parent may … Read more

When North Carolina parents who have young children go through a divorce, they may think a parenting plan is just another piece of paperwork to complete. However, these plans can have value when parents take the time to consider what will happen with their children once a marriage ends. Ideally, a parenting plan serves as … Read more

Children of divorced parents in North Carolina often have a hard time understanding their parents’ decision to separate. Many children develop unhealthy thought patterns after the divorce when they start blaming themselves or taking sides with one parent. Parents can help their children through this difficult time by refraining from negative talk about the other … Read more

North Carolina fans of “The View” may be familiar with the child support issues facing 48-year-old Sherri Shepherd, a former host of the television program. She went to court to challenge her responsibility for her child born through surrogacy, and the Pennsylvania Superior Court deemed her contract and child support obligations to be valid. The … Read more

The holiday season in North Carolina can bring with it difficult decisions about how to juggle two separate households for the child or children of divorce. Even the wisest and most even tempered parents have a tough time figuring out the custody arrangements around significant events such as Christmas. Divorce is often said to be … Read more

North Carolina residents might like to learn about a story involving two contradicting rulings in a child custody case that started when the grandmother of a 5-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy filed for custody in a tribal court, as the boys are members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. The tribal court granted her physical … Read more

North Carolina parents who are embroiled in a child custody dispute might take heart in the reality that these issues can affect anyone, including the rich and famous. Such is the case with movie actress Uma Thurman and her former fiancé Arpad Busson regarding their 3-year-old daughter. Ms. Thurman and the billionaire Frenchman had been … Read more

North Carolina parents who are going through a divorce and negotiating child custody matters should be aware of a recent ruling that might set a precedent for the way social media posts are used in custody battles. The ruling involved using a Facebook profile as evidence in a custody dispute. Courts in custody cases give … Read more

A California judge has ruled that the state does not have jurisdiction to hear Kelly Rutherford’s custody case. For child custody cases in North Carolina and other states, children must have some connection with the state in order for a court to have jurisdiction. In Rutherford’s case, the children had only spent about a week … Read more

North Carolina celebrity watchers may already be aware of the breakup between Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, who had three children together. There has been speculation regarding the likelihood of a custody battle between the two, as well as regarding the potential impact of Disick’s rumored substance abuse on the outcome of any such case. … Read more

Child custody and visitation disputes are often a major concern of North Carolina parents when they go through a divorce. While most of these issues are resolved, some parents take the extreme action of taken the child to another country in violation of a court order. According to the U.S. State Department, more than 8,000 … Read more

Retaining custody of a child is not always an exclusive privilege of a parent. North Carolina grandparents, extended family members, or others who have a relationship with a child who is not biologically or legally theirs may be eligible for seeking custody of the child. Under certain circumstances, and if the individual can prove that … Read more

Not all North Carolina couples who decide that it is time to get a divorce make the decision amicably. In some cases that involve children, one parent may fear for the safety of their child or fear that the other parent may inhibit them from visiting their child. If there are serious threats, a parent … Read more

A custodial parent is generally not permitted to simply leave with any children in their custody, regardless of the reason. In divorce cases where children are involved, there is typically a clause that specifies that a custodial parent may not relocate outside of a given radius or area, must give a certain amount of notice … Read more

Some parents in North Carolina who are going through a divorce or separation are usually able to agree on a custody arrangement outside of court. Many reach an agreement about child custody through informal negotiations while other parents use more formal mediation or collaborative law processes to settle their issues. Once an agreement about child … Read more

If you and your spouse have minor children and are getting a divorce, you have to work out with whom your children will live and who has decision-making power regarding major decisions about their lives. In North Carolina, amicably agreeing to a parenting plan can save you from going to court and accumulating a high … Read more

As the lives and circumstances of divorced parents change, child custody orders may be changed also so that as you and your children grow and change, so can the terms of your child custody order. The law allows parents to request modifications to previously issued child custody and visitation orders in certain situations. In order … Read more

North Carolina is one of the first states in the country that have passed statutes giving courts the freedom to use virtual visitation when settling child custody issues. Several other state governments are looking at electronic communication tools as an option for parent-and-child visits, and they are considering laws to facilitate virtual visitations. Family courts … Read more