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Should I Stay or Should I Go? Your Rights to the Marital Home During Separation

By: Attorney Annelisse Velazquez-Fernandez If you are considering separation in North Carolina, here is something worth knowing before anything else: you cannot simply file for divorce and move on. State law requires that spouses live separately for one year and one day before divorce proceedings can even begin. That means establishing two separate households—with at […]

The NICU and Parental Rights: What Separating Parents Should Know about the NICU

By: Attorney Annelisse Velazquez-Fernandez September is NICU Awareness Month—a time to recognize the thousands of babies who spend their first days, weeks, or months in a neonatal intensive care unit. No parent imagines spending the first weeks of their child’s life in a hospital, but for thousands of families, that is exactly the reality. For […]

What Can (and Can’t) Marriage Insurance Do in North Carolina?

Marriage Insurance in North Carolina, also called a prenuptial agreement, is a legally binding contract between two people planning to marry that determines how assets, debts, and spousal support will be handled if the marriage ends in divorce or death. Under the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, codified at N.C. General Statutes Chapter 52B, valid Marriage […]

Navigating the Path from Separation to Divorce in North Carolina

5 Quick Tips Now That The Ink is Dry Now that the ink has dried on your separation agreement, you may wonder what happens next. The period between legal separation and divorce gives you time to work with your attorney to tie up any loose ends ahead of officially filing for divorce. For those currently […]

What To Know Before You Separate

January notoriously has the highest rate of divorce and separation. In fact, January 2nd is National Hire a Divorce Lawyer Day. Separation and divorce is a confusing and emotional time, especially if you don’t know where to turn. The following tips can help alleviate some stress and ease your transition during a separation. 1) Financial […]

Can I Buy a House While Separated?

Free Trader Agreements Explained! In North Carolina, when married couples separate, they are required to live separate and apart for one year prior to filing for an absolute divorce. North Carolina is an Equitable Distribution state, which means that real and personal property acquired by either party during the course of their marriage is subject […]

Can I Get Separated and Divorced During a Pandemic?

​You have been socially distancing with your partner and have decided you want a divorce. In short, yes you can separate during a pandemic and potentially resolve all related matters by agreement. While the final divorce may be delayed, there are options in the meantime. Separation and Divorce are is not ideal or simple under […]

“Cowboy Take Me Away”, but Don’t Take my Money!

What can we Learn from the Challenge to Dixie Chick Natalie Maines’ Pre-Marital Agreement? Adrian Pasdar is not a cowboy, and it does not appear that he has even played one on television in his multiple roles as an actor. He has, however, played a lawyer on occasion. These roles may have given him the […]

Back to School: Co-Parenting for Divorced Couples

Summer can be a stress-free and flexible time of year for parents who are co-parenting children following a separation and divorce. The start of the school year can bring up problems that require attention and planning, especially if you want to successfully navigate the upcoming school year harmoniously together. Let’s face it – how many […]