Close Smith Family Law is proud to announce that on January 1st, Business North Carolina’s 2021 Legal Elite rankings named Managing Partner Cary Close as the top family lawyer in the State and Partner Kelly K. Smith as a “Young Gun” – a small group of lawyers under the age of 40 who are rising stars amongst their peers. As explained by the publication, “This marks the 20th Legal Elite class. Each year, BNC has invited active members of the N.C. State Bar to vote for their most-esteemed peers. Attorneys can’t vote for themselves . . . . This year, 982 lawyers were selected as Legal Elite, …Read More
Family Law
Close Smith Family Law Response to COVID-19
Close Smith Family Law is dedicated to the health and safety of our clients and community. Due to new and ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19, we have undertaken additional cleaning protocols, starting weeks ago to our offices, which are regularly and often cleaned, with increased disinfecting of higher traffic surfaces. As a small firm, we have a very small and limited number of people in the office to begin with, but even so, if you are not comfortable meeting in person, know that we have always and will continue to provide the option of phone-based meetings and consultations. We ask …Read More
What is a QDRO and Why Do I Need One?
When spouses are divorcing, they usually go through a process of property and debt division called equitable distribution. During this process, retirement accounts are often one of the larger assets divided between spouses. Depending on the type of retirement accounts each spouse may own, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) may be necessary to divvy up the money. A QDRO (pronounced cue-dro or qua-dro) is a court order specifically designed to transfer to a current or former spouse the right to a portion of the other spouse’s retirement account. While QDROs are most often used in …Read More
A DIY Divorce: 4 Reasons It May Not Be a Good Idea
When spouses separate, the expense of litigating claims for alimony and equitable distribution can add up quickly. While spouses often do not see eye-to-eye about the division of marital property and the amount of spousal support, they are usually in agreement about one thing: they want to become divorced. An uncontested divorce is one of the simplest actions in family law. For this reason, many clients try to save money by handling it themselves. Clients who handle their own divorces often make mistakes due to their inexperience and lack of knowledge of the legal process. These mistakes end …Read More
Case Update: Reconciliation Pitfalls
At Close Family Law, we ensure that our clients are well-represented, and one way we do this is to stay abreast of the latest North Carolina cases involving family law issues such as alimony (i.e., spousal support), child custody, child support, and equitable distribution (i.e., property and debt division), to name a few. We also know that our clients like to be well-informed and are interested in the current state of the law as it pertains to their case. That is why we are starting a regular series devoted to educating our clients on the latest and most interesting Court of Appeals decisions. …Read More
Co-Parenting Therapy
Parenting is difficult, even in an intact marriage. So when a marriage ends and you’re faced with having to parent with someone you don’t respect, trust, or may not even like – it can seem impossible. Just as parenting probably didn’t come naturally (at least not at first), neither does co-parenting. Among other things, successful co-parenting involves open communication and a level of respect for the other parent, two things many divorced parents simply don’t have. The prevailing view amongst child professionals who are familiar with divorce is that (1) a stable, loving relationship with each …Read More
