Judges Reverses Own Order That Barred Unvaccinated Mother From Seeing Child
On August 10, an Illinois judge barred Rebecca Firlit from seeing her 11-year-old son because she is not vaccinated against COVID-19. After being met with a barrage of commentary and outcry online, however, Cook County Judge James Shapiro abruptly and with little explanation reversed his order on August 30th. Many experts claim Judge Shapiro greatly…
Read MoreThe Runaway Bride Is Getting Divorced, So Let’s Talk Premarital Agreements
The name Jennifer Wilbanks may not be recognizable to many people, but we bet her moniker of “The Runaway Bride” is. Wilbanks was given the nickname after she made the decision not to show up at her own wedding in April of 2005. Although she initially claimed to have been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by…
Read MoreLearning from “Brangelina’s” High-Conflict Custody Battle
There is nothing better than a high-profile custody case to put things into perspective. Most of us read the headlines of superstars fighting over their children and property and cannot believe what we have just read. The amount of time and money that gets thrown into a contentious case can leave you questioning why it…
Read MoreYour Rights in a Same-Sex Divorce in North Carolina
Since 2015, it has been legal in every state for LGBTQ+ individuals to marry. Gay and lesbian couples, however, often face unique issues and concerns that opposite-sex couples do not. These concerns can make the divorce process more challenging, especially when it comes to child custody and support. At Epperson Law Group, we believe that…
Read MoreWhat Are the Benefits of Equal Time-Sharing by Co-Parents?
There are 20 million single-parent households with kids in the US, and 16 million of those are single mothers. For these parents, trying to gain a financial foothold – especially when they are of the primary residential parent and caregiver of the children – can seem impossible. There has to be a better way. And…
Read MoreHidden Assets and Tax Fraud: When Your Spouse Is Lying About Money
According to researchers from the IRS, Carnegie Mellon University, the London School of Economics, and the University of California Berkeley, high-income tax evasion is on the rise. One recent poll also concluded that 44% of people keep financial secrets from their partners. The reasons vary but typically center around a desire to control finances, shame…
Read MoreUnderstanding Coercive Control, and How it Leads to Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse often involves verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. However, it can also include manipulative, grooming-like behaviors that can create a situation that is challenging to leave. This is called “coercive control,” and it is often a precursor to physical or sexual abuse. Coercive control is defined as behavior that is strategic, oppressive, and terroristic.…
Read MoreHow Can I Protect Myself from Financial Disaster After a Divorce?
The COVID-19 pandemic shook the entire world in 2020. Even a year later we are all still feeling the effects. As the unemployment rate rose to new highs, the stock market dropped health insurance, and the ability to fund savings suffered drastically. It appears that many may not recover for years to come. All of…
Read MoreDebt and Retirement: How to Protect Yourself in a Later-in-Life Divorce
When a couple who has been married for many years decides to divorce, the financial burdens are different than they are for younger couples – but that does not mean they are lesser burdens. In a “gray divorce,” you may not have to worry about things like child custody, child support, and education, but you…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Continues to Fail Its Children
At some point, you have probably heard that 50% of marriage end in divorce. That is not really accurate, because it is averaging first marriage divorce rates with second (or more) marriage divorce rates, which skews the numbers. But there is one divorce statistic that is solid: between 70% and 80% of child marriages –…
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