co-parenting

What are My Parental Custody Rights?

Published on: August 17, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What are my custody rights if the other parent moves?”

The day your child is born is one of the happiest of your life. Now that you are a parent, everything has changed. You now care for and protect another human being and have many responsibilities. You also have some parental rights. In North Carolina, both parents are considered to share responsibilities for their children, and they both have rights. When you divorce, you must learn to share your child with your former spouse. It is helpful to understand your rights so you can make sure to have quality time with your child.

Co-Parenting School-Age Children

Published on: August 10, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

https://youtu.be/u7xF07u5008

The new school year is upon us, and it is time to start thinking about how to provide the best parenting possible for your kids. Divorced parents likely share custody and need to shift gears out of summer vacation mode and back into school-year mode. Co-parenting takes a lot of good coordination and communication to ensure that your kids are happy and healthy. Having children in school presents additional concerns; you want to ensure that your kids get a good education and balance their time for a contented life.

What is Parental Kidnapping?

Published on: March 23, 2022 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: ” I’m considering separating from my spouse; what actions should I refrain from doing?”

As a parent, you want to do everything you can to protect your child and keep them safe from all types of harm. Parents keep watch over their children in all circumstances to ensure their safety. The word “kidnapping” brings terrifying thoughts of a child being torn away from a parent without hope of reuniting. While kidnapping by a stranger can happen, it is a rare occurrence. The most frequent type of child kidnapping happens when a non-custodial parent takes the child or refuses to return a child after visitation. Parental kidnapping is a serious concern for many parents. When a parent takes their own child away from a custodial parent, the situation can best be described as parental kidnapping.

Five Reasons Why You Should Establish Paternity as an Unmarried Father

Published on: April 14, 2021 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can I keep my Kids from seeing the other parent?”

A child born during a marriage is automatically considered an heir to both parties of the marriage. However, when a child is born to unmarried parents, the father should establish paternity (the unmarried mother is legally considered the parent).

Four Tips for Co-Parenting and Distance Learning in the COVID-19 Era

Published on: October 14, 2020 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

https://youtu.be/u7xF07u5008

As the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere in sight, parents and children are required to navigate online schooling and distance learning. Adjusting to the new reality can be difficult and stressful for all parents, especially divorced parents who share child custody.

Child Custody and COVID-19: Sharing Custody During the Coronavirus Pandemic in North Carolina

Published on: April 8, 2020 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What are my custody rights if the other parent moves?”

On March 27, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper ordered North Carolinians to stay home until April 29 in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. How does the state’s stay-at-home order, which prohibits residents from leaving their home except for essential activities, impact your child custody order?

Interference with Child Custody in North Carolina

Published on: October 31, 2018 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

Divorces can be messy. Suddenly two people are splitting their assets and lives into two, from what used to be a marriage. Divorce does not only affect the couple getting divorced, however. Oftentimes there are children to be considered. Most parents want what is best for their children, this includes wanting what is best for them in divorce. Custody agreements detail what exactly the arrangement will be between the two parents who will be co-parenting the child.

Who pays for extracurricular activities in a divorce?

Published on: September 1, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How much does it cost to get divorced, and how does the billing process work?”

Some of the best Olympians on the world stage are children of divorced parents. Michael Phelps, Ryan Locthe, Gabby Douglas, you name ‘em. In each case, their parents had to figure out not only how to navigate the challenges of co-parenting an Olympic athlete, but how to divide up the costs and burdens of Olympic training. Given that Olympic training, with the coaches, the equipment, the travel, can cost tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, this can be a monumental undertaking. Thankfully, most divorced couples don’t have to worry about paying to get their kids into the Olympics. On a less extreme level, couples do have to consider how to tackle extracurricular expenses. To learn more about how to go about dividing up these extracurricular costs, keep reading.

Couples Increasingly Open To “Birdnesting” Post-Divorce, But Is It Always A Good Idea?

Published on: May 5, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

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 been around for years, but appears to be enjoying particular popularity at the moment. Gwyneth Paltrow and her ex-husband Chris Martin do a version of birdnesting, while Anne Dudek, from “Mad Men”, and her ex publicly announced that they would pursue a birdnesting arrangement once their split is final.

Florida Moves Closer To Custody Equality

Published on: March 17, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can I do to gain custody of my child in North Carolina?”

Custody is often among the most contentious aspects of a divorce proceeding and understandably so. Though property division can be acrimonious, nothing is as emotionally draining as the thought of dividing up time with your children. Typically, both parties are eager to spend as much time as possible with the kids, something that invariably leads to conflict.