North Carolina legal guides for the decisions that matter.
Practical explanations from a Huntersville law firm serving families, employees, businesses, drivers, and neighbors across Lake Norman. Search the full library, choose a topic, or begin with a featured guide.
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Divorce & Family LawDivorce, alimony, agreements, property division, and protective orders.Find family-law guides →
Custody & Child SupportParenting schedules, decision-making, support, relocation, and enforcement.Find custody guides →
DWI & TrafficSpeeding tickets, license consequences, testing, evidence, and DWI defense.Find driving guides →
Employment LawDiscrimination, retaliation, wages, leave, investigations, Garrity, and the EEOC.Find workplace guides →
Estate PlanningWills, trusts, powers of attorney, health-care directives, and legacy planning.Find planning guides →
Civil Matters & Local LifeContracts, defamation, civil disputes, mediation, and the Lake Norman community.Find civil guides →
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CHILD CUSTODYWho decides where a child goes to school?School choice, joint legal custody, and resolving parental disagreement.Read the guide 
PARENTINGHow joint legal custody decisions are madeSchool, medical care, therapy, activities, and other major decisions.Read the guide 
SEPARATIONCan a separation agreement be changed?Understand modification, enforcement, consent, and court-order distinctions.Read the guide 
PROTECTIVE ORDERSWhat a court must find in a DVPO caseA practical case-law guide to evidence, findings, and protective orders.Read the guide 
PROPERTY DIVISIONStipulations and equitable distributionHow agreements and trial positions can shape a North Carolina property case.Read the guide 
CHILD SUPPORTSelf-employment income and child supportDepreciation, business income, documentation, and support calculations.Read the guide 
ALIMONYAlimony overpayments and reimbursementWhat a recent appellate decision teaches about payments and remedies.Read the guide 
CIVIL LAWDefamation in North CarolinaA broad overview of reputational harm, defenses, and civil claims.Read the guide
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Divorce & Separation
Agreements, property division, complex assets, and practical steps before and after separation.
Custody & Parenting
Decision-making, parenting schedules, school issues, modification, and third-party custody questions.
Support & Alimony
Income, self-employment, enforcement, contempt, overpayments, and changing financial circumstances.
DWI & Traffic
Stops, checkpoints, breath and blood testing, license consequences, speeding tickets, and defense.
Employment & Public Servants
Discrimination, retaliation, pay, leave, internal investigations, EEOC charges, and employee rights.
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Wills, powers of attorney, health-care directives, trusts, beneficiaries, and practical legacy planning.
Civil Litigation
Contracts, reputation, property disputes, statutory protections, and resolution through litigation or mediation.
Huntersville & Lake Norman
Local history, community change, and legal issues affecting the place Adkins Law calls home.
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Establishing Paternity of UnMarried Fathers
In North Carolina, when a married man's wife has a child, he is automatically presumed to be the father, and has all of the same rights to custody as the mother. When a couple is unmarried, the situation becomes a little tricky, and requires that the father establishes his paternity.Paternity can be established in several ...
8 Divorce Questions you may have:
1) How long do we have to be separated before we can file for divorce?You can file for divorce "if and when the husband and wife have lived separate and apart for one year, and the plaintiff or defendant in the suit for divorce has resided in the State for a period of six (6) ...
8 Common Misconceptions about Trusts:
Misconception #1:Trusts are only for people with a high net worth!Trusts can be set up to serve a variety of purposes and aren't only for "rich people". The most common type of trust is a living or revocable trust. A revocable trust is set up so that it can be modified during ones lifetime.Misconception #2:Trusts ...
May a Court Consider Military Deployments in Determining Child Custody?
A common question that comes up when dealing with child custody issues for service members involves deployments. Can my ex use my past and / or potential future military deployments against me in our custody matter? In North Carolina, in a proceeding for child custody of a service member, a court may NOT consider a ...
Adkins Law Tip: All About DMV Points
There are 2 important point systems related to driving in NC. There are DMV points and insurance pointsDMV points, or license points, are points that are assessed to you by theDMV. Your driver's license will be suspended if you accumulate 12 or more DMV points within a 3 year period.Below is a list of driving ...
