North Carolina Divorce Lawyers Blog

Articles Tagged with visitation

Published on:

By

The courthouse where a divorce complaint is filed is called the venue. Determining which venue to file in is important because only the proper venue can rule on a case. North Carolina law states that the venue for legal action is the county in which either party to the case lives, but identifying which court is the correct venue to initiate your divorce action can be more complicated. Continue reading →

Published on:

By

North Carolina law states that custody of a child may be granted jointly to both parents or exclusively to one parent, but how is that decision made in custody cases? All North Carolina orders for custody must be based on what arrangement will promote the best interest and welfare of the child.

While custody cases in the past used to favor the mother based on the since-abolished tender years doctrine, current custody matters do not give automatic preference to one parent over another. Instead, courts must consider relevant factors like the child’s safety.

Aguilar v. Mayen

Continue reading →
Published on:

By

Parents have a constitutionally protected right to take care of their children, which includes making decisions about whom their children will spend time with. It is difficult to overcome this parental presumption. Grandparents who wish to seek visitation with their grandchildren should be aware that there are strict rules in North Carolina about when they can file and on what factors a decision will be based.

Evans v. Myers

In a recent North Carolina Court of Appeals case, Evans v. Myers, Mother appealed after the trial court granted Paternal Grandparents legal and physical custody of her child while only awarding her limited visitation.

Continue reading →
Published on:

By

Grandparents can only file for visitation during an ongoing custody dispute between the parents or if they can prove the parents are unfit. What happens if the parents’ custody case is resolved before the court has a chance to decide on grandparent visitation? This was the question at the center of a recent North Carolina Court of Appeals case.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Custody and visitation orders in North Carolina are commonly amended when the terms no longer benefit the children and there has been a change in circumstances. Not every change will lead to a revised custody order, so understanding when a qualifying change has occurred can help you decide if it’s time to request an amendment to your order.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Extended family members often play an important role in a child’s life. The bond that children share with people such as their grandparents contributes to their development, but it is generally a parent’s decision as to which relationships their children can have.

In North Carolina, parents have a right to determine who their children will spend time with and associate with. This means that non-parents, like grandparents, cannot file for visitation unless certain criteria are present.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

It is always tragic when a child loses a parent, but what happens when the parent who passes away is the custodial parent? North Carolina courts must grant custody to someone else, and priority is given to biological parents in most cases.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Divorce can be a challenging time, especially when children are involved. One of the most complex aspects of ending a marriage is determining custody and visitation rights. The case of Davidson v. Tuttle, 2022-NCCOA-622 offers a window into the intricate nature of these decisions and how they can change over time. Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Custody orders are not required for parents who are not together, but many choose to obtain a court order when they cannot agree on custody, visitation, and other issues related to raising their child. Without a court-issued custody order, the legal parents share equal rights.[1] Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Rose v. Powell, 2023-NCCOA-______ (2023).

  • Facts: Plaintiffs were the biological grandparents of the minor child in this case. Plaintiffs’ son, Jacob Chandler Rose, unexpectedly passed away. At the time of his death, the Defendant, Jacob’s wife, was pregnant with Jacob’s child, later named Aubrey, born on April 30, 2019. The Plaintiffs embraced their role as grandparents to Aubrey and spent time together, forming a close bond until May 2021. During this period, they assisted the Defendant with legal matters related to social security claims and provided financial support for Aubrey’s baptism. However, in May 2021, the Defendant severed contact between the Plaintiffs and Aubrey, resulting in a cessation of visitation. The Plaintiffs responded by seeking secondary custody of Aubrey on November 29, 2021. The Defendant, on February 2, 2022, filed a motion to dismiss and countered with requests for temporary and permanent custody, along with child support arrangements. The case was heard on August 15, 2022, the court issued an order dismissing the case. The Plaintiffs appealed this decision.

Continue reading →