Lawyer

Different approaches for handling your North Carolina divorce

Published on: July 12, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What does uncontested divorce mean?”

Many people view divorce as a one-size-fits-all process. They imagine filing papers and appearing in court and talking to lawyers and taking the stand, all the things that have been shown on television and in movies. The reality is that divorce is as varied as relationships and that each one happens somewhat differently. Though contentious litigation is certainly one approach, it isn’t the only one. To learn more about different ways of handling your divorce, keep reading.

One Year After Obergefell, Challenges Remain

Published on: June 16, 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?”

It’s just passed the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling in the landmark Obergefell case. In that case, the Court announced that same-sex marriage bans were unconstitutional, forcing courts around the country to begin allowing same-sex marriages. Today, the courts are still grappling with how to do that, especially given confusing and sometimes contradictory state legislation.

New Jersey Court Says Divorce Not Grounds For Termination

Published on: June 14, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “Can any attorney help me with my family law needs in North Carolina?”

Going through a divorce can be a difficult time for most people. You’re faced with the dissolution of your marriage, the division of your property and must now move forward and build a new life different from the one you might have long intended to have. Though many aspects of your life will experience change following a divorce, one area that is usually a welcome constant is your job. After all, why should your marital problems impact your employment?

When dividing property in a divorce, don’t forget about intellectual property

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

Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How Can I protect myself from my spouses spending habits?”

If you’re preparing for a North Carolina divorce, you likely know to take your house, cars, bank accounts and retirement funds into consideration before dividing assets. These are the kinds of things that everyone thinks about when they think of property. They’re tangible and easy to identify. While it’s crucial that these easier items be accounted for, it’s just as important to remember those more complicated bits of property, including intellectual property, as they can end up being very valuable down the road and can provide important income to fund your future.

Friend Acted as Agent, Did Not Destroy Attorney-Client Privilege in NC Divorce Case

Published on: May 3, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “What does a “No-Fault’ divorce mean in NC?”

The attorney-client privilege can be an almost sacred right for either party in a divorce proceeding. Knowing that the private communications you have with your attorney about your case stay sacrosanct fosters candor and peace of mind in the relationship you have with the person representing you on such a personal case. This in turn allows your attorney to better prepare for your case. Similarly, the work product privilege protects materials prepared in preparation for litigation. These two immunities protect information from being produced (through documentation or testimony) via discovery from the opposing side. In any given divorce or family law case there can be facts, confidences and strategies that you do not want shared with your (soon-to-be former) spouse’s side and argued against you in court.

There’s No Doubt About It: Gwen Stefani’s Recent Divorce Shows the Power of Settlement Agreements

Published on: April 28, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How will the judge divide our property?”

Divorce is almost always a difficult, drawn-out event for those not living as celebrities. Of all high-profile divorces, those in Hollywood tend to be especially histrionic. So when a divorce involves one of music’s power couples and a love triangle within the same reality television singing competition, you expect the colors to really fly.

Virginia Supreme Court Decides Cohabitation Rules Apply Equally To Same-Sex Couples

Published on: April 26, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “How Can I protect myself from my spouses spending habits?”

Courts across the country continue to grapple with last year’s same-sex marriage ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. Though the decision altered the legal landscape nationwide, the Supreme Court left much of the implementation to the state courts, issuing a very broad decision. It is now up to the lower courts to work through the many challenges that decision will create.

Advice About Going To Court In Your North Carolina Divorce Case

Published on: April 21, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Matt Arnold answers the question: “Do I need an attorney to get a Divorce in North Carolina?”

Going to court can be a scary thing, even when you haven’t done anything wrong. The formal setting, the judge, the lawyers, all of that can lead to stress among those facing a divorce court appearance. People often fear saying or doing the wrong thing and waste unnecessary energy worrying about something that isn’t deserving of the anxiety. To find out some tips for how to conduct yourself in court and hopefully save stress for things that matter, keep reading.

Couple takes lawyer along on vacation, iron out details of divorce between golf, spa

Published on: April 16, 2015 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Divorce Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question ” I’m considering separating from my spouse; what actions should I refrain from doing?”

After the fun and (admit it) consternation of planning and following through with a wedding, couples are generally allowed a bit of spare time away from everything and everyone. That special post-wedding time is called a honeymoon.

Lawyer says pets in contested divorce cases should go wherever the kids go

Published on: March 19, 2015 | 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 battles between parents in a litigated divorce case can turn into ugly proxy wars in which, sadly, children serve unwillingly on the front lines. The battles, which often have little to do with the children themselves, are instead often “about control and winning and lashing out” when one parent feels hurt by the words or actions of another.