Uncoupling After Cohabitation Many couples make the decision to live together. Whether they plan to marry in the future or simply want to enjoy a relationship without the commitment of marriage, living together is a common occurrence. While living together can be joyful, it can make parting ways more difficult.…
Divorced Parents Guide to Co-Parenting Through the Holidays The holidays are times to celebrate with family, but if you are recently divorced or newly separated, this time of year can be extremely stressful. You are learning to navigate parenting from a new perspective, and at the same time, you are…
Cohabitation in North Carolina: What You Need to Know Many couples choose to live together before they get married. The number of people who cohabitate has been rising steadily over the last 30 years. Many couples try living together as a prerequisite to marriage. It is estimated that as many…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “When do you get alimony?” When a married couple decides to file for divorce, a divorce attorney helps the couple determine if alimony (also called “spousal support”) is an appropriate factor to consider. When a spouse remarries, it can…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How will the judge divide our property?” It is not uncommon for spouses whose marriage is on the rocks to have disagreements about who should stay in the house and who should leave. However, some spouses choose to change…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How should I prepare if I intend to file for divorce in the near future?” Unsurprisingly, marriage is seen as a nonnegotiable prerequisite to divorce. A court cannot grant a divorce and divide marital property without an underlying marriage.…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How will the judge divide our property?” Millennials continue to remake various institutions across the country, not the least of which is the institution of marriage. Millennials have already been shown to put off marriage to a much later…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I sue someone for breaking up my marriage?” Many people have heard about common-law marriage, believing incorrectly that if you only live with a person for a certain number of years you can become legally married despite never…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?” A recent article discussed the trend among some couples, celebrity and otherwise, to consider new approaches to co-parenting post-divorce. One such trend, known as “birdnesting”, has…
Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What does uncontested divorce mean?” The family from television’s “Sister Wives” is back in the news after a federal appeals court restored Utah’s state ban on polygamy this month. In 2013, a federal district court had struck down main…