Take a look at the December 2014 issue of Huntersville Magazine featuring Adkins Law PLLC. Adkins Law PLLC is located in Huntersville, North Carolina and primarily serves Mecklenburg County and the Lake Norman area. If you need to speak with a divorce attorney, traffic attorney, or estate planning attorney, contact Adkins Law PLLC.
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In North Carolina, when a married couple has a child, the state presumes that the child is of the marriage. The husband and wife are considered the natural parents of the child. The law is different for unmarried couples. When an unmarried couple has a child, the parent-child relationship isn’t recognized automatically. Establishing paternity, or legitimating a child, is the process in which a child’s biological father is recognized also as the legal father. Establishing paternity is important in order to inherit property and for child custody and child support obligations. If the child’s parents aren’t married, there are three other ways to establish paternity in North Carolina: (1) the unmarried parents can later get married, (2) the parents can sign an Affidavit of Parentage, or (3) a paternity lawsuit. In North Carolina, when a unmarried couple has a child and later marries, the child is legitimated retroactively. Additionally, the unmarried parents may sign an affidavit attesting to their parentage. This is a legally binding, sworn statement, which is difficult to overturn. A paternity lawsuit may also be filed to establish paternity. Once the lawsuit is initiated, a court may order genetic testing. As long as the testing shows at least a 97% probability that the purported father is the actual, biological father, the court will establish paternity. Once paternity is formally established, a court may issue an order for child custody and child support. If you wish to speak to a family law attorney concerning a paternity issue, contact Adkins Law. Adkins Law is located in Huntersville, NC and primarily serves Mecklenburg County and the Lake Norman area. Divorce can get messy, especially when money and children are involved. One popular divorce trick is hiding income. Hiding income may potentially lead to a reduction in child support and alimony. When a couple divorces, alimony may be granted if there is a supporting / dependent relationship. This basically means that one spouse makes a lot more money than the other spouse. If alimony is awarded, the award will be based on a number of factors, including the amount of money the supporting spouse makes. In order for the supporting spouse to reduce his or her alimony payments, they may purposely divert money from their paycheck somewhere else or purposely quit or change their employment status. If the supporting spouse can show that this was done for legitimate reasons, they may not be required to pay as much in child support or alimony. The dependent spouse has to prove that the supporting spouse is purposely hiding income in order to have a successful action. If you are considering divorce, schedule a consultation with a divorce attorney. A divorce attorney can help you review your situation, explain divorce law, and help you determine whether your spouse may be hiding income. If you would like to schedule a consultation with a divorce attorney in Lake Norman, please contact Adkins Law. Adkins Law is located in Huntersville and primarily serves Mecklenburg County and the Lake Norman area. Contact Adkins Law if you need to speak with an experienced Huntersville divorce attorney. |
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