When federal courts defeated countrywide bans on same-sex marriage, future birth certificates for children of same-sex couples were supposed to include the names of both parents. It also opened up the opportunity for preexisting birth certificates of same-sex couples to retroactively be changed to include both parents’ names. However, North Carolina did not change its birth certificate policy immediately following…
In North Carolina, a court will decide the terms of a child custody agreement based on what reflects the best interests of the child. Generally, this can mean that the terms which see a child’s best interests are protected will trump the wants or preference of either parent. Each case is unique and how a court determines custody will heavily…
Sometimes coming to the decision to file for a divorce is surprisingly easy, you and your spouse both know that your marriage must be dissolved for you to continue to be happy. Sometimes it is one of the most difficult things in the world, you know something is wrong but aren’t entirely sure divorce is the answer. Regardless of how…
Has your partner been physically hurting you? Do you feel like he/she is always playing mind games in an attempt to control you? If so, you may be a victim of domestic violence. This term applies to any harm that is caused by one person against another in an intimate or family relationship. While women are usually the ones affected…
On June 26th, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states, and controversy immediately sprang up around the decision. People from coast to coast were either celebrating it or condemning it and the split has yet to diminish. News stories are coming out of states that are often considered more traditionally conservative about…
Five years ago, a Kansas man responded to an ad he saw on Craigslist posted by a lesbian couple seeking a sperm donor. He said that he wanted to help them out. The man donated for free, and he signed papers to waive his parental rights. Last Thursday, January 23, however, a judge ordered the man to pay child support,…
Most divorces will end in a settlement, not in some dramatic courtroom setting. And that is good news, as this gives most couples the chance to end things amicably and quickly. If you are going to get a divorce, you should probably start getting ready for the settlement meeting or meetings. These meetings are when you, your soon-to-be ex, and…
What exactly does a prenuptial agreement do? For one thing, a prenuptial agreement does not have to mean that you are already thinking about the possibility of a divorce. It actually can include stipulations about your finances during the marriage. Of course, it is also a precaution, a way of outlining how property division would work if there should ever…
It is the right of the father of a child to have visitation and custody rights , whether or not you were present at the time of the birth of your child. Perhaps your wife kept the baby a secret after the divorce, or you had a sexual relationship with another woman and she never told you about becoming present.…
The reasoning’s behind a child desiring to emancipate themselves from their parents vary from family to family, though in the state of North Carolina, a child has the right to legally part ways after the age of 16. Naturally, parents have the rights to care and provide for their children until they reach the age in which they can provide…