Even though PAS may not be universally recognized as science, “parental alienation” is a term frequently used in Court to describe systematic and specific actions of one parent intended to alienate a minor child from the other parent. Judges across the country approach this subject very differently with some dismissing the argument even when presented by a medical expert while other Judges appear open if not to the syndrome then at least to the idea of “parental alienation.” It is important to discuss with your family law attorney how your Judge may react to allegations of parental alienation whether being presented by you or the other parent. Keep in mind that some parents raise allegations parental alienation whenever they have been accused of abuse or when they feel they are not receiving adequate visitation. That being said isolation of a minor child from a non-custodial parent does give ample opportunity for a primary caregiver to unduly influence an impressionable minor child regardless of age.

Certain information posted on Facebook may be admissible even if posted without your knowledge or consent such as being tagged in a picture. This article will explore some of the issues related to Facebook evidence in divorce cases as interpreted by various Courts across the country.

​​There is no automatic presumption that debt accumulated during the marriage is marital debt, instead one party must show there was a ”joint benefit” to both parties to be classified as marital debt. North Carolina case law classifying student loans have ruled both ways as to when student loans created a “joint benefit” to the parties. Thus any examination of when student loan debt is marital debt in North Carolina is fact determinative and open to interpretation by the Judge. Let’s take a look at some of the recent case law regarding student loans in equitable distribution cases in both North Carolina and other jurisdictions.

​Some of the areas to be explored in this article include recording telephone calls, recording secret video, hiring a private investigator, placing a GPS on someone’s car, and looking at someone’s email or hacking into their computer. The bottom line is- proceed with extreme caution, as there are numerous potential pitfalls in this ever changing area of the law and you certainly don’t want to have a case named after you.

​Custody determines the rights of each parent. Do you want the child to live with you full time or are you only looking for visitation? Do you want to have a say in where the child attends school or church? Do you want to make major medical decisions or are you open to compromising with the other parent? Remember that just because you get along now does not mean you will in the future. There is no right or wrong answer to child custody, but remember Court Orders are not necessarily easy to change and if there is no Court Order getting in front of a Judge can take months.