Depending on a parent's perspective, it may be a huge relief or a cause of a concern that, in North Carolina, child custody and parenting time decisions are not set in stone. This is true even when the parents made an agreement about such issues and one of them wants to change the agreement.
Review Of Legal Standards For Child Custody Modification
Police Action Across NC Leads To Drug Possession, Other Charges
In cooperation with local law enforcement officials from across the state, North Carolina's Alcohol Enforcement Agency made over 130 arrests and submitted over 200 criminal charges in connection with a recent raid they coordinated at several locations across the state.
Traffic Tickets For Truckers Can Be Career Killers
No one in Statesville, North Carolina, wants to deal with a speeding or other traffic ticket. In addition to having to fork over a fine after getting caught going a few miles over the speed limit, for instance, a driver may also have to deal with points on their driving record and higher insurance premiums for the next several months.
North Carolina's legal separation period
Unlike other states, North Carolina has a very long period in which a couple must be legally separated before they can get a divorce. Specifically, a couple has to be legally separated for basically one year before a court can grant a final and permanent decree of dissolution.
This rule can create some additional legal wrinkles, since a lot can happen during the one year while a couple remains legally married but are each living separate lives.
Wrong place at the wrong time? You will need a solid defense
A previous post on this blog reported that several people in a town not far from Statesville, North Carolina, had been caught up in a drug bust. Police reportedly found methamphetamine and other evidence of drug distribution in the home that they searched.
As that post mentioned, these are the sorts of cases in which the old maxim, "at the wrong place and the wrong time," can have particular relevance.
Premarital agreements in North Carolina
North Carolina law allows couples planning to marry to enter into premarital agreements before they tie the knot. These agreements are important not only in the event of a divorce or separation, but also when one of the spouses simply wants to protect the inheritance of any children from a previous relationship.
However, these agreements are subject to special legal requirements, which, if not satisfied, could render a premarital agreement unenforceable. For instance, before enforcing an agreement, a court will verify that both parties signed the written agreement. Informal, oral agreements will not be enforced.
Multiple people facing drug charges in connection with meth bust
Seven people who face multiple drug-related charges after police allegedly broke up a methamphetamine distributing operation. The alleged operation was taking place relatively close to an elementary school in Drexel, North Carolina, which is a town not far from Statesville.
Two of the people who were arrested lived at and owned the home that was the target of the police raid. Upon entering the home, police allegedly found 30 grams of meth in the home, as well as drug paraphernalia and cash.
How deferred prosecution helps a first-time offender
The word criminal often induces a stereotypical image in the mind of a hardened person with no conscience or regret for illegal behavior. Of course, people exist who fit that description, but many times criminals are just everyday citizens who made a mistake. Alcohol, peer pressure, financial struggles, mental illness and more can all push someone in the wrong direction, and a person may end up doing something he or she would not normally do.
An error in judgment should not define someone who faces criminal charges, yet the law is all about seeking justice and dispensing punishment. It may seem as if all hope were lost, but first-time offenders do not need to give up. If you are dealing with the consequences of a poor choice for the first time, you may have options to prevent the lifelong challenges of a conviction. One of them is a conditional discharge, but this course requires pleading guilty. The better route is through deferred prosecution.
Woman faces charges after allegedly posting photos of ex
There are right ways and wrong ways to handle the end of a romantic relationship. Generally speaking, legal issues arising from the end of the relationship should be handled through the legal system, while the emotional fallout may be better dealt with outside of the public eye.
As one North Carolina woman found out recently, not dealing with former love interests in a mature manner can in some cases lead to getting accused of violating the criminal law of this state. North Carolina authorities are charging the woman, who is only 19, with "disclosure of private images," which is a felony.
A parenting coordinator's role in a child custody case
A previous post on this blog discussed how Statesville, North Carolina, parents might be able to use a child custody mediator to resolve any child custody disputes or disagreements over either parent's visitation rights. The ideal result of a child custody mediator is when the mediator is able to prepare a written agreement that both parties are willing to sign. Failing this, a mediator's role in the case usually ends when either parent indicates that he or she is no longer interested in trying to negotiate an agreement.
North Carolina courts also have the authority to appoint someone called a parenting coordinator in a child custody case. While the parents can agree to have a parenting coordinator appointed and even choose, which parenting coordinator they want, courts also have authority to appoint one, even if neither parent really wants the court to do so.
