Updated 12/16/2020

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley issued an order extending Emergency Directives 2–5, 8–15, 18, and 20–22 in response to the public health threat posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. North Carolina Courts will postpone non-essential, in-person court proceedings for 30 days, beginning Monday, December 14.

Chief Beasley issued a new Order dated May 21, 2020. Some of the main points are as follows:

• Filing deadlines for criminal matters are extended until July 31.
• Filings due pursuant to statutes of limitation or repose are extended until July 31. 
• Filings and actions due in civil matters that had been previously extended are due June 1. 
• No session of court may be scheduled if it would result in the public being crowded into courtrooms or waiting in close proximity without social distancing. 
• Senior Resident Superior Court Judges are directed to have courtroom seating and all areas where lines form marked with six-foot intervals.
• They must also ensure that public areas of the courthouse are cleaned throughout the day and that hand sanitizer is provided at every entrance and exit. 
• Jury trials are postponed through at least the end of July.
• Senior Resident Superior Court Judges are also directed to assess local court facilities to determine whether juries can be convened with social distancing. If not, they must secure alternate facilities for jury trials. 

​There is no magic age number when a child can decide who to live with under North Carolina law. When a child turns age 18 and becomes an adult they can choose to live wherever they want, but before then a judge can dictate where that child must live.

​Updated 4/13/2022

​After reflection, NCGS 50-13.01 appears to be the first baby step in NC to join many other states looking to create a hard presumption of equal or joint custody when both parents are capable of sharing that responsibility. Whether 50/50 custody is a realistic possibility in your case mainly depends on what county you live in and what Judge is assigned to your case. To some counties and Judges they approach any custody dispute with a predefined idea of what “best interest” means. Some judges simply favor joint custody and others do not consider 50/50 custody a viable option. No matter if you are a mother or father the prospect of a judge given essentially unchecked power to decide your rights regarding your child is a frightening idea.

Equal custody means different things to different people. The two types of custody are physical and legal custody. The difference between physical and legal custody in NC is that legal custody goes to who can make decisions affecting the health and welfare of the child whereas physical custody goes to where the child lives and sleeps at night. A true 50-50 custody generally means the parents share joint legal and joint physical custody meaning no major decision can be made except by agreement and the minor child spends an equal amount of time or overnights with each parent.

The impact of this change in the tax code regarding spousal support is national (not just North Carolina) and will effectively make divorce more expensive for many who rely on spousal support to maintain their standard of living. As the tax change of alimony applies to Court orders and separation agreements signed after December 31, 2018 those in the middle of divorce right now have just under a year to finalize any deal under the old/current law.

Even though a creditor such as Bank of America or Wells Fargo may only be able to sue the cardholder a North Carolina family court judge can order the other spouse to make payments or account for that debt in the dividing the marital estate via property division otherwise known as equitable distribution. Equitable does not always mean equal, but judges usually try and divide marital assets 50/50 to the extent possible absent a compelling reason for an unequal distribution.