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May
18
2018

The Hidden Traps of a Simple Divorce

Getting a divorce is simple, right? All you do is file the divorce papers, have them delivered to your soon-to-be ex-spouse, wait 30 days and you get the divorce - no questions asked! And with forms readily available, you can file them ...

May
3
2018

The Paradox of Children

Collaborative Divorce: Dealing With Children.One of the most difficult challenges of going through a divorce is to get out of the mindset of vindication and retribution caused by the negative emotions of anger, hurt and betrayal. With the help ...

Apr
26
2018

Time is money - Yours!

Collaborative Divorce: Time is money—Yours!Abraham Lincoln once said a lawyers’ time is his “stock-in-trade.” In an initial divorce consultation, a question always asked is what is this going to cost me? The ...

Apr
19
2018

Collaborative Divorce

Collaborative Divorce: Eliminating the cost of the “battle of the experts”The division of marital property in a divorce (“Equitable Distribution”) often involves a property interest that requires a professional ...

Apr
4
2018

Collaborative Divorce: Where the emphasis is on resolving differences and not identifying with them

In today’s political climate, the debate over almost all political issues is becoming more polarized, with each side intent on prevailing over the heretics on the other side. The middle ground of reasoned compromise is rapidly ...

Aug
26
2015

Social Media & Other Accounts Can Linger After Death

When planning your estate, keep in mind your “digital” property. We tend to think of our physical assets, such as a home, bank accounts, retirement account and life insurance. Consider online banking, for instance. Who ...

Jan
28
2014

Don't Keep Too Many Secrets

Who knows your “secret” passwords? A problem we encounter in probate is obtaining access to password protected information on the internet. If your Executor does not know how to access your online information, it could be ...

Dec
4
2013

Day Trip to Ephesus - NC Bar Trip To Turkey (2010)

A pleasant ride through the countryside shows us a different aspect of Turkey. The bustle and hustle of Istanbul gives way to rural settings: fields with hay being mowed for feed; lush groves of citrus fruits, including peaches and apricots; ...

Mar
20
2013

Who Controls Your Memory?

Do you use online services to help communicate, store important information or photographs, and generally organize your life? I do. And, most people I know do as well.Have you ever thought about what happens to all that “stuff” ...

Nov
14
2012

Questions People Ask - Counselor at Law

Over the past few weeks, the pastor at my church has been doing a series of sermons entitled “Questions People Ask.” One of those questions, big enough for several books, is “Why do bad things happen to good people?”I’m ...

Aug
20
2012

Legally Speaking

A headline in the ABA Journal recently says “Bilingual Lawyers in Demand.” If you are a non-lawyer reader of this, you might be saying to yourself that all lawyers seem to be bilingual – Legalese and what the rest ...

Aug
2
2012

Power of Attorney in North Carolina

A question that comes up frequently is whether or not a Power of Attorney must be recorded to be valid. N.C. G.S. 32A-9(b) requires a Power of Attorney to be registered if it is to survive the mental incapacity or incompetence of the person ...

May
10
2012

Husband’s Failure To Disclose Assets Is Basis For Constructive Fraud

In the case of Searcy v. Searcy, the Court of Appeals in a decision filed September 20, 2011, reversed the trial court and found that there was an issue of fact with regard to constructive fraud when the husband failed to disclose the existence of ...