NC Court of Appeals Decisions: Family Law Case Briefs and Guides

THE LAKE NORMAN BRIEF · 2026 APPELLATE LIBRARY

Family law, explained through the record

Explore North Carolina Court of Appeals decisions on custody, support, property division, protective orders, and appellate procedure. Each brief explains the facts, issues, reasoning, result, and practical limits, with a case-specific graphic and links to the full opinion.

How to read these decisions

Published opinions and unpublished opinions are labeled separately. Unpublished Court of Appeals opinions do not constitute controlling legal authority; citation is disfavored and governed by Rule 30(e)(3).

An appeal dismissed for procedural reasons does not necessarily approve the trial court’s decision on its merits. A remand may require new findings, a new hearing, or other specified proceedings. Read the stated disposition and its limits.

Divorce, property, and alimony

Before Your North Carolina Divorce Becomes Final: Protecting Property and Alimony Claims

An absolute divorce ends a marriage. It does not automatically divide the house, allocate retirement benefits, or award alimony. Before entry of judgment, review which claims have actually been asserted and which issues have been resolved by an enforceable agreement.

The Financial Records to Gather When Separating in North Carolina

A clear financial record helps separate immediate household decisions from property division and support analysis. Build a dated, explainable picture of assets, debts, income, and expenses so each figure answers the right question.

Valuing Property in a North Carolina Divorce: Houses, Accounts, Businesses, and Cryptocurrency

A useful property value needs a date and a legal purpose. North Carolina equitable distribution requires classification, valuation, and distribution; treating those steps as interchangeable can produce an unsupported award.

North Carolina Alimony: Actual Income, Financial Need, and Business Ownership

North Carolina alimony is not determined by a universal percentage or a fixed fraction of the marriage’s length. The court considers entitlement, income and need, and statutory factors governing amount, duration, and payment.

Child support

North Carolina’s 2027 Child Support Guidelines: What Changes January 1

North Carolina adopted revised child-support guidelines effective January 1, 2027, for actions heard on or after that date. As of October 20, 2026, they are adopted but not yet effective. Existing orders do not automatically change when the calendar turns.

Self-Employment and Child Support in North Carolina: Reading Beyond the Tax Return

Taxable business income and income available for support may differ. North Carolina’s guidelines call for careful review of receipts, necessary expenses, and significant business-paid benefits that reduce personal living costs.

Changing Child Support in North Carolina: Three Years, Fifteen Percent, and Arrears

Changed income or parenting arrangements can justify reviewing support, but they do not automatically change an order. Separate the basis for modification, the possible effective date, and payments that have already accrued.

North Carolina Child Support Worksheets A, B, and C: Overnight Counts and Common Mistakes

The words joint custody do not determine the child-support worksheet. North Carolina’s guidelines distinguish primary, shared, and split physical custody using the children’s overnight arrangements and the applicable financial-responsibility requirements.

Child custody

Planning a Move With a Child in North Carolina: A Relocation Evidence Guide

A relocation proposal should explain what the move means for the child’s daily life and relationships. A job offer or larger home is relevant, but the court needs the connection between those circumstances and the child’s welfare.

Preparing Evidence for a North Carolina Custody Hearing: What Recent Appeals Teach

A custody case needs evidence connected to the child’s welfare and a fair opportunity to present and challenge it. Recent decisions illustrate both the need for an evidentiary record and the importance of preserving objections to procedure.