Allen & Spence Blog
Deposition Tip: Take a Lawyer
I just finished taking a deposition in a case over in Chapel Hill in one of my Wake County cases. It reminded me of something I learned early on in my practice: a deposition: if you have to give your deposition, take a lawyer along. Today I was sitting across from an...
What is a Fair Settlement in My Divorce Case?
"Fair" is a difficult word in family law cases. There is little fair about the loss of a marriage and family. Therefore, "fair" is a word I try to avoid. Instead of the word "fair" I usually focus on the word "reasonable." "Reasonable"...
Contempt and the North Carolina Child Custody Case
North Carolina law provides that violation of a court order is punishable by the contempt powers of the court. What is contempt of court? How is it used in child custody cases? First a few general observations. A separation agreement or contract is NOT...
Allen and Spence Appellate Practice
Appellate practice is demanding. The North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals have very specific rules and demand a high level of attention to detail and the law. Below is a list of representative appellate cases...
How Much Alimony Should I Expect to Pay or Receive?
One of the many questions about alimony that I field is the “how much” one. “How much will I have to pay?” or “How much will I get it?” Easy questions, not always easy to answer. The reason the “how much” questions are not easy to answer...
How long is alimony in North Carolina?
At one point over the last twenty years of doing this kind of work, I heard someone refer to alimony as “ali-money.” I can understand why. The truest statement about alimony is that most everyone wants it and absolutely no one wants to pay it. One of...
