At Fuquay-Varina Family Law, we understand and celebrate the fact that families come in many different forms! As an all-inclusive firm, our goal is to achieve security and solutions for two-parent families, LGBTQ+ and same-sex families, single parents, foster families, multi-generational families, and everything in between.

Picking your battles isn’t always easy, particularly when tensions are high, but keep in mind that these battles are costly. So, when is it appropriate to put your foot down and when is it better to let it roll off your back? Here’s our advice, take it or leave it (we suggest you take it).

When we discuss self-care, we aren’t just talking about an occasional bubble bath or treating yourself to a margarita at dinner; we are talking about purposeful steps you can take to protect your mental, emotional, and physical health for the sake of your kids. Here are some tips on how to better look after yourself so that you can be present for your children in a meaningful way.

Conversations with your co-parent aren’t easy when they’re acting a fool, but if Helen Keller found at least four different ways to communicate, so can you. Don’t worry, no one is asking you to hash parenting details out over brunch or a long phone call if the relationship isn’t amicable. In this day and age, there are a variety of ways to converse with your co-parent that are easy, practical, and judge-approved. Yes, it’s convenient to pick up the phone, but how often do your calls end in anger and/or tears? Any family law attorney will tell you that phone calls can go south fast, with no record of what was said. Even if you and your ex pass the vibe check, it’s still important to find out what form of communication works best in certain situations. Would an attorney recommend regularly texting your co-parent about the kids? How often should you touch base with a phone call? Here are five commonly used forms of communication (and how to effectively use them).

The road to divorce can be long and full of lonely times, but moving in with someone following a separation is never a good idea. Why? You might not like this answer, but impressions matter, particularly when you’re in the process of getting a divorce. Even if you and your “roommate” keep things strictly platonic, it still creates the impression that there could have been a relationship prior to the marriage coming to a halt (this is even more likely if you move in directly after you and your spouse separated).

Our Covid lifestyle and toilet paper hoarding ways started back in March, but the holidays are literally right around the corner and we’re still fat. We get that it’s hard to make rock-solid plans when you’re worried about the ‘rona, but seasonal events and family gatherings require the “3 Cs of Co-parenting”: communication, coordination, and collaboration. Hashing out the details of family gatherings, gift exchanges, and other special celebrations is crucial if you want your children to have healthy and healthy holiday experiences. Don’t stress about trying to keep things “relatively normal”—normal went out the window a long time ago! The holidays are going to look a lot different for everyone this year, and that’s okay. As long as you keep your priorities straight, your kids can make new memories, experience different traditions, and enjoy all the holiday festivities the end of the year has to offer despite (and sometimes because of) your divorce. Here are nine tips to help you successfully co-parent your way through Thanksgiving and beyond.

Covid-19 is about to become Covid-21 after New Years, so I think it’s time we settle in and get comfortable with the idea of remote court hearings. Whether you’re using WebEx or Zoom, virtual hearings exist to safely connect you to the courtroom now that judges are holding very limited in-person proceedings. Although this eliminates the need to take a full day off of work to drive to the courthouse and stand in front of a judge, litigants can’t expect to just “phone it in” even if they are actually phoning it in. Although the hearing might be happening in your home office, the rules of courtroom etiquette still very much apply in a court of law. Here are some tips on how to handle yourself in a virtual courtroom without acting a fool.

Why can’t an attorney represent both parties in a separation/divorce and meet with both parties if the parties are amicable? Short answer: it’s unethical, you heathen it’s highly frowned upon.

Getting through 2020 is like going on a trash safari in a busted Geo Tracker and hitting every pot hole along the way, but a tough year doesn’t excuse a rough relationship with your co-parent. There are a lot of things in 2020 that are out of your control (a worldwide pandemic, for example), but your relationship with your ex isn’t one of them.

Family law attorneys want to help our clients, but if we’re totally honest, it can sometimes feel like herding a large group of cats during a hail storm while being attacked by rabid geese who just happen to be guarding their nests. Too far? You get the idea. The point is, family lawyers are professionals who specialize in matters of family law; they do not exist to manage your time for you, respond to midnight text messages, or provide/organize therapeutic services. Would you like your divorce process to go as smoothly as possible? Here are12 tips that will save both you and your attorney a lot of time and frustration.

Co-parenting is never easy, but co-parenting during a pandemic is next level hard. Do you send your kids to school on Plan B or sign them up for virtual-only? Who will stay at home with the kids while they learn from home? What if your co-parent wants to forgo public schooling all together? Honestly, co-parenting in 2020 is a veritable landmine of arguments just waiting to happen and there are no easy answers. Just like you, family law attorneys are having to figure it out as they go along. Worldwide pandemics aside, co-parenting can be a full bag of crazy on the best of days. Here are some tips that can (hopefully) make the process a lot less complicated.

While there might not be a law that prohibits dating during a divorce, is it really a wise thing to do? You might feel as free as a (quarantined) bird and ready to maintain a 6-foot distance with a new love interest, but according to the law, a person is married until the divorce is finalized (whomp, whomp). North Carolina requires a one year separation before a couple can file for divorce, so even if you feel single and ready to mingle, it’s important to approach any budding relationship with a large degree of caution.

Look, nobody wants to go to trial in a divorce case, but like I’ve mentioned before, the road to divorce is fraught with unexpected twists and turns that might send you straight to the courtroom. In case your only experience with the justice system has been watching Judge Judy in your sweatpants, NEVER FEAR! Here is a handy-dandy guide for how to handle yourself in a court of law.

Have you ever driven somewhere and then wondered how you got there? Did you yield to oncoming traffic? Did you use your turn signal? WERE THOSE LIGHTS EVEN GREEN?!