The total cost of a divorce, including attorneys fees, court costs, real estate transfers, and consultant fees varies so widely for any particular couple, that an "average" cost is almost impossible to calculate. The reason being is that there are many different factors that influence the cost. I once heard that a prominent area divorce [...]
When people research what it means to move toward separation and divorce, the first search topic is the law. Of course the Internet has vast amounts of information on North Carolina divorce laws. However, the laws that govern equitable distribution of marital property, alimony, and child custody are broad outlines of what a court [...]
Arbitration. Mediation. Negotiated settlement. They sound like good ways to avoid divorce court. Unfortunately, in North Carolina, these non-court options fail families in many of the same ways that court fails families. Why? Because these alternatives continue to be adversarial and use the same standards as divorce court when trying to evaluate offers and proposals. The [...]
When our differences with others are resolved in day-to-day interactions, those events receive little notice. Colleagues heading to lunch may have different ideas, but little difficulty settling on a restaurant that satisfies each. However, differences over more crucial matters escalate to actual conflict. A husband, fearing for the financial condition of the family, berates his [...]
Tyler's father moved out of the house three months ago. Tyler's parents were getting divorced. When his father asked Tyler how he was doing with everything that was happening, Tyler smiled and said: "It's fine, don't worry." But things were not fine. He and his older brother did not tell their parents how they really [...]
You're considering a legal separation from your spouse. You want to stay out of court. You would like to use collaborative law proceedings for separating together with attorneys who are expert in collaborative law. How do you choose your attorney? Here are five questions to ask any attorney you are thinking about hiring. Where [...]
Collaborative divorce has been a statutory alternative in North Carolina for over ten years. However, this option, which aims to be a healthier process than court for couples going through divorce remains underutilized, and many members of the family bar continue to resist embracing the process as a valid alternative to more adversarial divorce. A [...]