Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog
Finances are the number one issue that couples fight about, whether married or not. Cohabitating partners should sit down to make a budget and determine who will pay for rent, groceries, and anything else either partner will need. The couple should also decide whether to open joint accounts or maintain separate accounts, and how to accommodate for one person making more money than the other.
Cohabitation Survival Tip #1: Define the relationship.
The first survival tip for cohabitating couples is to actually define the relationship before agreeing to share a residence together. When couples move in together, they should seriously discuss what it means to both of them. They should define what kind of commitment they are making to one another, whether they are building a future, and how they are going to handle daily life. Furthermore, they should discuss how to describe the living arrangement to friends and family.
Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog Focuses on 8 Tips for Surviving Cohabitation
Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog will focus on 8 tips for surving cohabitation. These tips for surviving cohabitation are from an article on Yahoo entitled “Going Cohab? 8 survival tips for staying together.” These tips will be discussed in subsequent blog posts to follow. To cohabitate or to marry? That is the question. If the answer is to cohabitate, maybe these tips will help you survive.
According to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of couples getting married plunged to an all-time low in 2009. Last year, married couples accounted for only 52 percent of the adult population, with more couples cohabitating instead of tying the knot. According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the number of opposite-sex couples living together increased by 13 percent. Last year also saw an increase in prenuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements. With this new trend toward cohabitation, how are couples making their relationships last for the long term?
Should the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services to Flag Illegal Immigrants?
According to the Charlotte Observer, Mecklenburg County Commissioners are currently in discussions over whether to accept a proposal that will require the reporting of undocumented family members of American-born children receiving public benefits. Commissioner Bill James is asking the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services to ignore state and federal regulations and alert immigration officials or the sheriff’s office when it suspects that an illegal immigrant has applied for welfare or food stamps for his or her U.S.-born children. James believes that the state is handing out benefits by using so-called “anchor babies” as a cover for its actions. Under the 14th Amendment, citizenship is automatically granted to any child who is born in the United States.
A recent study released by the Pew Hispanic Center revealed that the number of children in this country with at least one undocumented parent increased from 2.7 million in 2003 to 4 million in 2008. Furthermore, more than 70 percent of all children of illegal immigrants are United States citizens.
Highest Divorce Rates (15 Jobs)
Radford University in Virginia recently released a list of the 15 professions with the highest divorce rates in the country. The Radford study indicates that professional dancers and choreographers are most likely to get divorced, while maids and housekeeping cleaners are the least likely to be divorced on the list. Other professions who made the list, in order from highest rate to lowest rate of divorce: Bartenders, massage therapists, gaming cage workers, extruding machine operators, gaming service workers, factory workers in the food and tobacco industries, nursing, psychiatric and home health aides, entertainers and performers, baggage porters and concierges, telemarketers, waiters, and roofers.
Alimony and Child Support Payments in the Public Eye
Although their divorce is finalized, the aftermath of the divorce proceedings still continues in the North Carolina Court of Appeals for NASCAR Chair Brian France and his ex-wife, Megan. Brian’s lawyers are making an unusual request – that the proceedings should be closed to the public and the couple’s divorce agreement should be kept sealed.
Court documents filed before the hearing reveal that the divorce agreement gives Megan France at least $40,000 per month in child care reimbursement expenses (including “governess payments”) and alimony, as well as a $9 million distributive award. Also according to these documents, Brian France has recently refused to make some of the required payments. Megan France also accuses her ex-husband of harassing her by hiring private investigators to follow her, and violating their agreement concerning the care of their children.
Prenuptial Agreement or “Engagement Agreement”
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently considered a case where the trial court awarded $40,000.00 for an overly broad subpoena. This case involved a tort action on an “Engagement Agreement” containing a provision where Plaintiff (prospective husband) was obligated to support Defendant (prospective wife) for the rest of their lives whether they married or not. Prospective husband, convinced that prospective wife never intended to marry him, sued prospective wife for fraud and other such claims. The prospective husband thought that he had signed a prenuptial agreement, rather than an “Engagement Agreement.” Through the course of litigation, prospective husband subpoenaed documents from several of prospective wife’s former attorneys who were involved in the drafting of the “Engagement Agreement” – all objected.
North Carolina Child Support and Gross Monthly Income
The North Carolina Court of Appeals further refined, in a case of first impression, the definition of “gross monthly income” for purposes of calculating North Carolina child support. In this case, the North Carolina Court of Appeals addressed “gross monthly income” for child support calculation purposes. Two components of “gross monthly income” were evaluated by the North Carolina Court ojavascript:void(0);f Appeals:
1) Social Security and Medicare taxes employers are required to make on behalf of an employee.
On this issue, the Court of Appeals held that Social Security and Medicare taxes employers are required to make on behalf of an employee may not be considered income for child support purposes because these payments do not provide a parent with immediate access to funds that could be used to pay child support.
Charlotte, North Carolina Child Support Attorney – College Expenses
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently addressed, in an unpublished decision, whether a father’s lack of involvement in college choices relieves him of his responsibility to pay for college for the minor child. Under North Carolina law, the payment of college expenses is not required of parents as part of North Carolina child support. However, sometimes parents agree to pay for college expenses and include those provisions in their separation agreement.
Termination of Parental Rights Hearing Requires GAL to be Present
The North Carolina Court of Appeals recently considered whether the word “represent” requires that a Guardian Ad Litem must actually be present at the hearing on whether the court would terminate the parental rights of the Father. In this case, the termination of parental rights was reversed based on the fact that the minor child’s Guardian Ad Litem was not physically present at the hearing in accordance with North Carolina General Statutes §§ 7B-601-1108 (2007). A Guardian Ad Litem’s attendance at hearings is mandated, and the Guardian Ad Litem shall represent the juvenile in all proceedings. The Guardian Ad Litem’s absence from some proceedings gave rise to a presumption of prejudice to the Respondent.