​Often, people think of property in terms of tangible items, and this is understandable.  It’s important not to overlook non-tangible property however – not only things like retirement and pension accounts, but also things like insurance policies, which have definite value, and which must be addressed as you prepare to move forward down two separate paths. As you prepare to negotiate and divide your property during the divorce, it can be helpful to maintain a detailed inventory of all of your existing insurance policies, as well as all of the designated beneficiaries on those policies. 
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Depending upon the particular circumstances one spouse may be required to maintain the other spouse on their insurance policy for any number of reasons, so it is also important to consult with a knowledgeable and experienced attorney as to your circumstances before making any final decisions one way or the other. In addition, as you prepare for divorce, it can be helpful to begin the process of obtaining quotes for new policies if you will be canceling your old ones. Doing so will save you time and headache in the long run.

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• Health Insurance

For many couples, one spouse is covered by the other spouse’s policy.  If this is the case, the spouse who does not actually hold the policy may feel worried that they will lose their coverage during the divorce process.  The good news is, that this is not necessarily the case.  Continued coverage is typically provided by the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, better known as COBRA.  COBRA insurance coverage typically takes effect after someone loses employer-provided coverage for whatever reason.  COBRA insurance coverage can last for up to 36 months after the regular insurance policy ends.
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Many rely on COBRA coverage after a divorce until they can arrange for a new policy.  It is, however, always a wise decision to contact your insurance company to discuss the divorce, as well as what steps might need to be taken (and what costs will be incurred) to continue the coverage.  It should also be noted that in some settlement agreements as part of the property division between the parties, one spouse agrees to cover the full or partial COBRA payments for the spouse and/or children who were formerly named on the regular insurance policy.

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• Automobile Insurance

As you begin to make decisions about dividing your property, you will, necessarily, have to determine what to do with your vehicles.  As you consider changing the details of your insurance policies, it is important that you ensure that you have also made certain that the vehicles are titled in the names of the respective spouses who will receive them as part of the property division. It is also important to be aware that most insurance companies require written consent from the person who is being removed from the policy, so it is often necessary to notify your spouse before you actually make the policy changes.  Reviewing these matters with an attorney to be sure that you have properly effectuated title transfers and taken other necessary steps before officially changing the policies is always a wise decision.

• Homeowner’s Insurance

When determining how to handle your homeowner’s insurance policy during a divorce, it is important to look at whose name is on the deed to the property.  While many couples jointly own a home, other couples live in a home where only one spouse’s name is on the deed.  Regardless of your particular circumstance, it will be important, after determining who will remain in the marital home, to contact your insurance provider to notify them that the other spouse has moved out. You may not necessarily need to change the names on the policy during separation, but after an absolute divorce is granted, it will be very important to ensure that the policy contains the name of the correct homeowner.

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• Life Insurance

There are two types of life insurance – term life insurance, which lasts for only a set term, and permanent life insurance, which lasts until the policyholder passes away, and has a cash value.  Term policies typically do not have a cash value, and as a result, are not taken into account as assets when property is divided, although permanent policies do have a cash value and will therefore be counted as assets.
 
If one or both spouses have life insurance policies, the beneficiaries and terms of those policies will need to be reviewed and possibly negotiated during the property division process.  It can be helpful, after an absolute divorce is granted, to provide the divorce decree to your insurance company and instruct them to notify all beneficiaries of any policy changes or missed payments. This can help to ensure that the policy premiums continue to be maintained, and that the policy remains active, and up-to-date with the appropriate beneficiary information.

It can be helpful to consider how the insurance policy might fit into your overall estate plan, as life insurance proceeds are generally included in the estate. Some choose to use a helpful planning tool called an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, or ILIT.  An attorney who understands family law and estate planning will be able to advise you as to whether a tool like this might be helpful in your particular circumstances.
 
If you and/or your spouse do not have life insurance policies, this does not necessarily mean that you should entirely ignore this issue during your divorce.  In some situations, couples who are divorcing and do not have insurance are actually ordered by the court to acquire insurance.  Typically, this occurs in a situation where the divorcing couple has children, and one spouse earns significantly more than the other.  In that situation, the court will often order the spouse who earns more income to obtain a life insurance policy naming the ex-spouse as a beneficiary in order to ensure future financial security in the place of standard support obligations if the higher-earning spouse passes away.

Contact Adkins Law if you need to speak with an experienced Huntersville family law attorney to arrange a consultation. One of our Huntersville divorce lawyers can arrange a consultation with you to discuss your family law matter in detail. 

Certainly, making the decision to move away after a divorce and after an initial custody arrangement is determined can be a hard decision for anyone to have to make.  Whether the move is for a new job, because of a remarriage, or simply to start a fresh chapter in a new setting, much consideration often goes into making that choice.  That choice certainly becomes more complicated when children are involved, and it must be decided whether the children will relocate as well, or whether current custody arrangements will change in some way.

If you or your ex-spouse is considering a relocation, it is always wise to check your separation agreement or child custody order for any restrictions on relocation that may exist. Some custody orders place restrictions on parents moving out of state or moving the children more than a specified number of miles away.  If you have such restrictions in your custody order and you violate them, you could be found to be in contempt of court and subject to a variety of penalties, which may, depending on the severity of the situation even involve the loss of some of your custodial rights.  For most parents, this simply isn’t worth the risk. 

Even if your separation agreement or custody order does not specifically place limits on traveling or relocating, those considering doing so should still be cautious, as moving without the consent of the other party or the permission of the court might later be used against you, or result in the other parent seeking an emergency custody order for the return of your child to North Carolina.

This is not to say that relocation will never be allowed.  In fact, in many circumstances, courts do allow a parent, particularly if that parent is the child’s primary physical custodian, to relocate with the child.  As is always the case in contested custody issues, the court will seek to make a decision regarding the proposed relocation that is ultimately in the best interest of the child. If a parent objects to the other parent relocating with the child, that parent will have the burden of presenting evidence that the move is not in the child’s best interest.

Ultimately, a relocation may end up being the best decision for your family, and certainly as a parent, you are in the best position to know whether or not that is so.  Regardless, however, it is important to think through that decision carefully, and to make sure you are making it in accordance with the terms of any agreements or orders already in place in your case.  Doing so is ultimately in the best interest of all involved.

If you need to speak to an experienced Huntersville family law attorney regarding your child custody arrangement, please contact Adkins Law to arrange a consultation. One of our Huntersville child custody attorneys can arrange a consultation with you to discuss your family law matter in detail. 
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Under the United States Constitution, and under North Carolina law, parents have the “paramount right to custody, care, and nurture” of their minor children.” This is otherwise known as the “superior rights doctrine,” and essentially, it means that parents are considered to have rights that are superior to those of non-parents when it comes to determining and acting in the best interests of their children.  Thus, for the most part, in North Carolina and across the country, courts will seek to allow parents to maintain custody of their children whenever it is possible. 
 
In certain instances, however, parents may be unwilling or unable to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their children.  In those situations, the court may consider other options, and grandparents may seek to petition the court for custody of their grandchildren. Certainly, if you are a parent or a grandparent who finds yourself in this situation, consulting an attorney should be your first step.
 
Generally, however, it can be helpful to know that as a grandparent seeking custody of your grandchildren under the North Carolina General Statutes, in order to seek custody of your grandchildren, you must be able to demonstrate to the court that the child’s parents are unable to fulfill their parental duties, which essentially means that you must establish that the parents have taken actions that are inconsistent with their paramount constitutional right to custody of the child(ren).  While there are different ways to meet this burden of proof, in some cases grandparents may show that an unfit parent may:
 
·      Have abandoned their child;

·      Have continually neglected their child;

·      Have abused their child;

·      Have shown an ongoing pattern of substance abuse;

·     Have decided to voluntarily give up custody of their child;

·      Be unable to provide a safe and nurturing home for their child;

·      Have a proven history of domestic violence;

·      Be unable in other ways to provide the safe and nurturing home that the child needs to grow and thrive.
 
If, considering the law and the proof that is required to obtain custody you believe you can do so, you can proceed to seek custody under N.C. Gen. Stat §50-13.1(a). Under this provision, you can file your claim for custody at any time, provided you can establish standing to do so.  Standing simply means that the person who is seeking the custody has a right or interest that is recognized and protected under the law[1]. Certainly, the ultimate determination as to whether or not a grandparent is granted custody will be left to the discretion of the court, as is the case with all custody matters.

In other situations, grandparents may only be interested in seeking visitation with their grandchildren, as opposed to full custody.  In that situation, parents continue to have the paramount authority with respect to the care and well-being of their children.  Accordingly, unless certain elements of proof are met, it is unlikely that a court will order a parent to allow visitation with their grandchildren.  While grandparents do have a right to file a motion to intervene in an ongoing custody action between the parents to seek visitation, this does not mean that the request will be granted.  Generally, and absent extraordinary and extenuating circumstances, courts feel that the parents are best suited to make this determination on their own.

[1] North Carolina law does recognize two situations in which a non-parent has standing to seek custody of a child, including when: (1)The non-parent has a parent-like relationship with the child (when the person has assumed parental duties and has an emotional attachment to the child similar to that of a parent; or (2)The non-parent has a biological or adoptive relationship with the child, and there are allegations of abuse, neglect, or unfitness against the child’s parent(s).

If you need to speak with an experienced Huntersville custody attorney regarding grandparent visitation and child custody, please contact Adkins Law to arrange a consultation. One of our experienced Huntersville child custody lawyers can arrange a consultation with you to discuss your grandparent visitation rights in detail. 
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Divorce is a complex process.  After all, untangling two lives that have become intertwined over many years isn’t easy.  There are many decisions you’ll have to make during the divorce process.  As you prepare to make those decisions – decisions regarding the division of property (including your assets and debts), the potential sale of your home, the updating of your legal and insurance documents, and other important matters, gathering information pertaining to those matters ahead of time will help to simplify matters to some degree.

It is also unfortunate to say, but important to be aware, that in a divorce, relationships can become extremely strained. Often, people can become so emotional that they act in unpredictable ways which are completely out of character. It is not unusual for a spouse to take paperwork without the other spouse’s knowledge, or even to destroy important paperwork in anger, or out of a desire for revenge. Even if you may not expect that sort of behavior from your spouse, it is still a wise precaution to save copies of important documentation and information while you still have access to it.

Certainly, the information needed will vary depending upon your unique circumstances. However, information that is usually helpful to gather includes:

• Income Tax Returns (including any W-2s and work-related 1099s);

 

• Documentation related to property, including:
  • Real estate deeds;
  • Mortgages;
  • Bank account statements;
  • Retirement account documentation (including documentation pertaining to pensions and 401(k)s);
  • Proof of ownership of any valuable personal property

 

• Business Documents: If you and/or your spouse own a business, it will also be important to obtain as much documentation as possible about that business. Helpful documentation might include:
  • Business tax returns and financial statements;
  • Documents indicating the assets and liabilities of the business, including real estate, personal property, and bank accounts, in addition to records of outstanding loans and other business debt; and
  • Organizational paperwork, including incorporation, by-laws, LLC operating and/or partnership agreements, and any business appraisals or valuations.

 

• Other Pertinent Information: Other documentation that may be helpful to gather includes:
  • Birth certificates and social security documentation for all family members;
  • Any prenuptial, postnuptial, or separation agreements that you entered into with your spouse;
  • Copies of any life or health insurance policies;
  • Credit card statements;
  • Documentation of any investments;
  • Any other information you feel may be helpful to a court in making determinations on key issues during the divorce process.

 
With respect to any documentation you may gather, it is always best to collect at least three to five years’ worth of information if possible, or more if you have been in a long-term marriage. Although gathering this information may be time-consuming and tedious, it is a worthwhile effort in the long run in order to save yourself time, expense, and headache down the road.  

​If you need to speak with an experienced Huntersville divorce attorney, please contact Adkins Law to arrange a consultation. One of our Huntersville divorce lawyers can arrange a consultation with you to discuss your family law matter in detail. 
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