Child Custody

Who Pays for College After Divorce?

Published on: June 12, 2024 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Who Pays for College After Divorce?

Divorce involves a lot of compromises, and you must make decisions about how you will divide up your assets and property. Even more important are decisions regarding your children. Typically in North Carolina, both parents are equally responsible for their children, and both are able to make legal decisions such as those regarding school, health care, and religion, among others. Children usually reside primarily with one parent while the other parent has visitation and pays child support. Parents may wonder who will pay for their children’s college costs when they are divorced.

Child Support Guidelines

Child Abandonment in North Carolina

Published on: February 14, 2024 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Child Abandonment in North Carolina

About 18.3 million children are living in families without their fathers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That equates to about one in four children in the United States. Most often, it is a father who abandons a child, but a child could also be abandoned by a mother. Abandonment can occur in cases where parents are married, separated, divorced, or unmarried.

What is Child Abandonment?

Can an Unmarried Father Get Visitation of His Child?

Published on: September 27, 2023 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Can an Unmarried Father Get Visitation of His Child?

The societal trends of families in the United States have changed quite a bit over the last 50 years. While families in the mid-1900s were composed mainly of married parents, that is not always the case today. The number of unmarried fathers has doubled over the last half-century. About 1 in 5 children are living with their unmarried mother. This means that unmarried fathers must take steps to seek visitation with their children.

Unfortunately, without a legal order, mothers are not required to allow an unmarried father to spend time with their child. A father should seek a court order to ensure that they get regular visits with their child. Before you can take legal action, you must establish that you are the child’s biological father.

When Does Child Support End?

Published on: March 1, 2023 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

When Does Child Support End?

Going through a divorce can be a difficult event for a family. Parents need to be particularly careful when there are children involved. Parents typically share parenting responsibilities, and the non-custodial parent usually pays child support. Child support is necessary to ensure the health and well-being of young children who are under the age of 18. Both parents have an obligation to provide for the welfare of their children. A child support order is a court document that requires a parent to provide money for a child, often as part of a divorce. A knowledgeable family law attorney will help guide the divorce process.

What is Child Support?

How Long Does a Contested Divorce Take?

Published on: February 22, 2023 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

How Long Does a Contested Divorce Take?

Going through a divorce can be difficult, but it may be much more challenging when one party contests the divorce. When that happens, the divorce process becomes more lengthy, and it can extend how long it takes to complete the process. In North Carolina, couples must be separated for a period of at least a year before they can move forward with a divorce. Although a couple resides apart, one party may not agree with the divorce or with some of the settlement terms. An experienced North Carolina divorce attorney will help guide the process and assist in resolving disputes.

What is a Contested Divorce?

What is Supervised Visitation?

Published on: January 25, 2023 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

What is Supervised Visitation?

Parents typically have the right to spend time with their children, even after they get divorced. Both parents generally share legal custody and parenting responsibilities. Often, children reside primarily with one parent while the other parent has visitation. Children can have time with each parent. A visitation order is usually part of the divorce process, along with a parenting plan that provides guidance for visitation.

Visitation

What You Need to Know About Divorce in North Carolina

Published on: December 21, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

What You Need to Know About Divorce in North Carolina

The divorce rates have been decreasing, but there is still a significant number of marriages that will end. Although divorce is not easy, it may be the best solution for some families. Divorce does not have to be overly stressful. If you can review the many issues that will be part of a divorce settlement, you can prepare for a more amicable resolution. Understanding divorce settlement issues will help you better work through these important issues. A knowledgeable North Carolina divorce attorney will help you navigate the divorce process.

Divorce From Bed and Board

Tips for Parenting Through the Holidays After Divorce

Published on: November 16, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Tips for Parenting Through the Holidays After Divorce

Parenting can be challenging, especially for those who are divorced. Whether you are going through a separation, are recently divorced, or have been apart for a while, it can be difficult to navigate the schedule with your children around the holidays. While you would like to have your children with you throughout this special time, they also need to spend time with their other parent. Grandparents also want to spend time with their grandchildren. Here are some tips to help you get through the holidays without unnecessary stress.

Plan Ahead

How Do I Establish Paternity in North Carolina?

Published on: November 9, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Children are born to two parents, and both parents have rights and responsibilities. Sometimes, paternity is not automatic. In order to ensure parental rights, paternity might need to be established through legal channels. While you may know that you are the biological parent of a child, the law must confirm this in order to be able to make decisions for your child, order child support, and determine custody and visitation. A skilled family law attorney will help you resolve paternity matters and protect your parental rights.

When parents are married when the child is born, the law presumes that the husband is the father in most cases. If the father’s name is on the birth certificate and the parents later marry, no further action is needed to establish paternity. Paternity is the way to make sure that the biological father is the legal father of a child. Although parents may understand who the father is, the law does not assume paternity when the parents are not married.

https://youtu.be/iBTSY6ufZu8

What is a Collaborative Divorce?

Published on: September 14, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

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?”

What is a Collaborative Divorce?