Suppose you inherit money from a family member during your marriage. Is your inheritance subject to being divided under North Carolina’s equitable distribution statute? The brief answer: it depends. North Carolina General Statute § 50-20 defines marital property as all real and personal property obtained and currently owned by either…
It is not rare in this day and age that a spouse “brings” a home into a marriage. This means that one spouse was the owner of a home before they got married. It also likely means that the spouse bringing the home into the marriage was paying the mortgage.…
Hicks v. Hicks, 2022-NCCOA-139. Facts: Plaintiff and Defendant attended a mediation to attempt to settle the Equitable Distribution and alimony parts of their case. In mediation, they reached a settlement and memorialized their terms in a consent order, entered in September of 2018. Among those terms, Defendant received a parcel…
Shropshire v. Shropshire, 2022-NCCOA-441. Facts: Plaintiff and Defendant separated and initiated a case for Equitable distribution (ED). Pursuant to a pretrial Order, the parties filed affidavits for the ED trial. Both parties listed retirement plans under the “marital property” section of the affidavit. This included the Plaintiff’s 401(k) plan. Furthermore,…
Brady v. Brady, 2022 NCCOA 200 (N.C. Ct. App. 2022) Brady v. Brady came before the NC Court of Appeals on Defendant Husband’s appeal. ISSUE: What findings of facts are required to support awards of alimony, a distributive award, and the unequal distribution of assets. FACTS: Mr. and Ms. Brady…
Wright v. Wright, 222 N.C. App. 309, 730 S.E.2d 218 (2012) Facts: Plaintiff and Defendant married in 2002 and subsequently separated in 2008. Defendant was a professional football player in the NFL. While playing football, Defendant suffered significant injuries, three of which were sustained while he was married to Plaintiff.…
Dozier v. Dozier, 2022-NCCOA-307 (unpublished) (2022) In North Carolina, an Equitable Distribution (ED) judgment is a final court-ordered distribution of the marital assets. Unlike child support, alimony, or custody, these are not modifiable upon showing the court that there has been a substantial change in circumstances. A rule 60…
In the previous blog, we covered appraisal as a method of valuation of property in the context of Equitable Distribution in a separation. Equitable Distribution (ED) in North Carolina is a legal process by which the court divides the marital property between the parties. The three steps in an ED…
Equitable Distribution in North Carolina is a legal process by which the court divides the marital property between the parties. It involves three steps: 1) classifying the property as marital or separate (or some mix); 2) assigning value to the property; and 3) distributing the property in an equitable manner…
Foxx v. Foxx, 2022-NCCOA-223 (5 April 2022) (unpublished). Some statutes and case laws in North Carolina have a time component. In modifications of child support and custody, the trial court is sometimes required to make comparisons between the old facts and circumstances with the current ones in order to find…