Family is likely the most important thing to you. This is why some of the most difficult and emotional cases in North Carolina involve family law. Whether you are facing a divorce without children, a divorce with children, or child custody and support issues, the law firm of Remington & Dixon is here to help. We can answer your questions and offer guidance through the complex and emotional process of ensuring that your legal rights are protected.
Divorce Laws in North Carolina
In North Carolina, you can file for a no-fault divorce. In order to do so, you must be separated for one year or more, living in different homes. In a no-fault divorce, nobody has to prove that either party is guilty of wrongdoing. This form of divorce is typically simple and costs significantly less time and money.
Child Custody and Support in North Carolina
Much like every other state, when it comes to child custody and support in North Carolina, the best interests of the child are the most important standard which the courts will use to determine who has physical custody and how much visitation the non-custodial parent should have. Joint custody is the preferred answer to this problem, where possible and reasonable. Ultimately, the decisions regarding child custody and support will be determined, not based on what the parents want, but what is more beneficial for all of the children involved.
When it comes to determining child support payments, the income of each parent will be taken into consideration, as will the number of children and the custody arrangement. In some cases, a parent will be required to make child support payments based on what they could be earning, rather than what they actually are earning. This prevents parents from intentionally quitting their job in order to reduce child support demands. Typically, whichever parent does not have primary physical custody will be the parent who pays child support. Child support is usually paid until the child turns 18 years old, and the amount is determined based on detailed calculations with state determined child support worksheets and attention to the gross income of the parent. The process of determining child support can be complicated, so it helps to have a North Carolina family law attorney available to help you to understand the calculations and ensure that the child support amount is set at a fair and reasonable rate.
Understanding Father’s Rights in North Carolina
It has taken many years and many cases for North Carolina to make progress in ensuring that fathers’ rights are just as important as mothers’ rights in child custody and support arrangements. It has always been much more common for courts to award custody to the mother, rather than the father, based on nothing more than favoring mother’s rights. In a lot of cases, there may still be an unconscious tendency to lean towards allowing the mother to have primary physical custody instead of the father. If you are a father in North Carolina and facing a child custody dispute, you may have an uphill battle ahead of you. Contact the Offices of Remington & Dixon to ensure that you have the best legal representation available for protecting your rights. It is important to be aware of the laws relating to father’s rights and to avoid being swept up in the legal system without knowing where to make your stand.
Seek a Free Consultation from the Remington & Dixon Law Firm
Whether you are the mother or father in a North Carolina divorce or child custody and support case, you need to have the right family lawyer on your side. The dedicated Charlotte family law attorneys at the Offices of Remington & Dixon are here to help you in understanding your rights and how the law applies to your situation. We’re also here to protect those rights and ensure that you are not taken advantage of and that you do not make any mistakes in these important legal matters. Contact us today for a free consultation regarding family law in North Carolina.
