The usual rule of law in North Carolina and the U.S. is that a party must pay his or her own attorneys fees unless there is a staute that that shifts the burden to the other party. We have such a statute in NCGS 50-13.6 that allows the district court judge to award attorneys fees to a party who is unable to pay in a child support or child custody case.
The district court judge has much discretion in deciding whether to award attorneys’ fees and how much to award. Different judges have different views of how much to award in fees.
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Raleigh divorce lawyer Scott Allen handles modification of custody, child custody, child support and temporary custody hearings and has over seventeen years of experience.
If you have questions or need assistance call him at (919) 863-4183 or email at sallen@allenspence.com.