Family Law News & Resources

The Mecklenburg County Stay-at-Home order for county residents went into effect on March 26, 2020 and the State of North Carolina executive Order went into effect on March 30, 2020. While the stay-at-home orders are meant to address the public health crisis of COVID-19, it also leaves many vulnerable to abuse. Headlines in local and…

Approximately 370,000 North Carolinians have filed for unemployment insurance assistance since March 16, an unprecedented spike in filings as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, the North Carolina Department of Employment Security received about 3,000 claims a week.[1] The current coronavirus pandemic, caused Mecklenburg County to issue a stay at home order that went…

Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, Mecklenburg County issued a stay at home order that went into effect on March 26, 2020, which includes all of Charlotte and other towns in the County. Governor Cooper followed suit shortly thereafter and issued a state wide Executive Order affecting all of North Carolina that remains in place through April…

As stay-at-home orders are being implemented and unemployment increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, acts of domestic violence are increasing as victims of domestic violence may be forced to stay home with their abusers for days or weeks at a time. In addition to increased daily contact, factors such as financial and health related stress, are…

In North Carolina, changing your last name contemporaneously with getting a divorce is easier than you might think. Though the process can be paper intensive, an experienced family law attorney, like those at Dozer Miller, can easily assist you in changing your last name as part of the divorce process. The easiest and most straightforward…

In a previous blog post, I briefly discussed what being “separated” means in North Carolina in describing what dating and sex look like after separation. I explained  that North Carolina requires spouses to live ‘separate and apart from each other’ with at least one of them intending to end the marriage. Where you live makes a difference.…

Recently, there was a headline in the news: “Mega Millions lottery winner has to share $15 million of the jackpot with his ex-wife.” The suburban Detroit man, Richard Zelasko, and his then-wife, Mary Elizabeth Zelasko married in 2004, had two kids, separated in 2009, and filed for divorce in late 2011. In July 2013, before…

Chances are, that when you meet with a family law attorney for the first time, your experience with attorneys has been limited. Now, you have picked an attorney, scheduled your initial consultation, and you are wondering what, if anything, you need to bring with you to your appointment. Come to your divorce consultation prepared with…

Before you know it, it will be the last day of school. Soon most school-aged children will be on Summer Break. When planning summer travel, if you are a parent who shares custody of your children, there are a few things you should consider. Do you have a custody Order in place? Does your parenting…

In every initial consultation I have with a new client, I give them a lot of information.  We talk about the law, about expectations for the process, different options, and cost.  I give advice about the next steps for each client based on their circumstances, but if children are involved, I tend to have a…