Family law

Family law encompasses anything that deals with the well-being and legal status of your family. This includes (but is not limited to) separation and divorce, child custody, child support, post-separation support and alimony, equitable distribution of marital property, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, separation agreements, enforcement of court orders, domestic violence, DSS involvement, grandparent custody rights, and third-party custody actions. 

In North Carolina, parties must be separated for one year prior to filing for an absolute divorce. Visit our Divorce page to read more about the requirements of a separation, and the divorce process.

Child custody actions may be filed as a result of a separation, or between non-married parents. In order file for custody in North Carolina, the state must have jurisdiction to make a custody determination, and you must have standing to make such a claim. Read more about the requirements and process of filing these claims on our Child Custody  page.

When parents do not live together, the courts want to ensure that they are still sharing the obligation to financially support their children. This is where child support comes in. North Carolina has established a set of guidelines to ensure that both parents are participating financially in the child(ren)'s lives. Read more about these guidelines and the child support process on our Child Support page.

When parties separate, financial dependency can lead to a great deal of stress, for both spouses. The issue of spousal support can be addressed between the parties by agreement, or by the courts. Read more about the requirements for a spousal support claim and the process of pursuing this action on our Spousal Support page.

Separation and divorce means that parties will no longer be sharing the assets and debts they acquired during their marriage. In order to distribute this property, the court must take several factors into account. Read more about this process on our Equitable Distribution page.

Parties often times want to avoid the high stress and cost of litigation associated with the claims involved with the ending of a marriage. In these situations, a separation agreement can resolve most claims between the parties, without requiring any court appearances. Learn more on our Separation Agreements page.

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Some couples wish to resolve any potential issues that may later arise, prior to their marriage. Prenuptial Agreements can set both parties' expectations within the marriage, protect the assets of both parties, and allow the parties to agree on the way certain issues should be handled while there is no animosity or hard feelings between them.  Read more about the requirements and benefits of these agreements on our Prenuptial Agreements page.

If you didn't find the particular issue you were looking for on this page, check our practice areas drop-down menu at the top of the page for a more detailed list of matters we handle. If you still can't find the answer to your questions, give us a call at (704) 918-5529! Attorney Valerie Hein is always happy to speak with you to see if we can help, or point you in the direction of someone who can!