Before we dive into ways to prepare for your post-separation support and alimony case, it's important to understand what these terms mean and your general eligibility for spousal support. There are two types of spousal...more
Before we dive into ways to prepare for your post-separation support and alimony case, it's important to understand what each of these terms mean and your general eligibility for spousal support. There are two types of...more
This is Part 2 of a summary of Ward and Smith Certified AI Governance Professional and IP attorney Angela Doughty's comprehensive overview of the potential impacts of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for in-house...more
2/12/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Best Practices ,
Bias ,
Client Services ,
Data Privacy ,
Governance Standards ,
In-House Perspective ,
Legal Technology ,
Machine Learning ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Transparency
Marital estate rights create the potential for catastrophic consequences should a spouse pass away at a time when the parties are physically separated but have not yet signed a separation agreement or been granted a divorce....more
11/26/2024
/ Beneficiary Designations ,
Divorce ,
Estate Planning ,
Intestate Succession ,
Life Insurance ,
Marital Assets ,
North Carolina ,
Prenuptial Agreements ,
Retirement Plan ,
Separation Agreement ,
Wills
One's ownership in a closely held business (often a family business) may be affected by a separation or divorce. In many situations, the business will be joined as a party in an equitable distribution lawsuit. " One's...more
11/11/2024
/ Classification ,
Distribution Rules ,
Divorce ,
Equitable Distribution ,
Estate-Tax Exemption ,
Family Businesses ,
Gift-Tax Exemption ,
Marital Assets ,
Marriage ,
Prenuptial Agreements ,
Separation ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Valuation
Over the last several years, the frequency and intensity of rain and other natural disaster events have increasingly impacted both business and individual property owners across North Carolina in a variety of ways....more
Multiple studies and respected authors agree – divorce is one of the most stressful life events any person can experience. After 34 years of practice in the family law field, I have represented many individuals who have...more
In an exclusive webinar produced by Ward and Smith, two attorneys coached participants through the changing landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). In addition to reviewing new guidance recently published by the NCAA,...more
North Carolina's equitable distribution laws provide the framework for determining how property will be valued and divided when one or both partners in a marriage decide to separate.
Before doing a deeper dive into how...more
At their recent Construction Conversations and Closely Held Business Briefing event, several Ward and Smith attorneys provided an overview of privacy and data security, rules associated with name, image and likeness use for...more
Litigation is costly, both in time and money. Making this worse, court dockets often are backlogged, so it can take even longer—sometimes years—to resolve a lawsuit. To save litigants and courts time and resources, most...more
This is the first in a series of articles summarizing key topics discussed at Ward and Smith's 2021 Construction Conversations Webinar.
Members of Ward and Smith's Government Relations and Labor and Employment teams...more
10/25/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Construction Contracts ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Contractors ,
Governor Cooper ,
OSHA ,
Title VII
During Ward and Smith’s recent virtual "Construction Conference," six of my partners and I covered a range of emerging legal issues — most related to the pandemic — that are important for construction companies.
In a...more
12/3/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
General Contractors ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Paid Leave ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SBA ,
Subcontractors ,
Workplace Safety
Although lenders and borrowers still face uncertainty regarding PPP rules, the general process of obtaining PPP loan forgiveness is known. With each passing week, we can expect lenders to process more PPP loan forgiveness...more
Over the last six weeks, PPP loan borrowers understandably had a multitude of questions about the loan forgiveness process.
After all, without forgiveness, the PPP loan is nothing more than just another business debt...more
We have written much about the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans funded through the SBA as part of the government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. The PPP loan application contains a number of eligibility...more
We have written much about the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans funded through the SBA as part of the government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. The PPP loan application contains a number of eligibility...more
Much has been written about the benefits of the PPP loan program. With the second round of funding, roughly $660 billion in PPP loans will be distributed to approved applicants. Approximately 3 million small businesses will...more
The much-anticipated CARES Act provided for the Paycheck Protection Program, which is meant to help small businesses both retain their employees and meet their rent and other operating expenses during the COVID-19...more
On March 23, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 120 ("Order"). The Order extends the in-person closure of the public K-12 schools in North Carolina until May 15.
The Order further limits mass gatherings – to a crowd...more
As the pandemic rages on, the number of North Carolina workers applying for unemployment benefits is staggering.
Between March 16, 2020 and the end of the day on March 25, 2020, the N.C. Division of Unemployment Security...more
On July 8, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law HB 871, significantly altering North Carolina's anti-indemnity statute, N.C. Gen. Stat § 22B-1 ("Anti-Indemnity Statute"), particularly as it relates to indemnity...more
8/8/2019
/ Anti-Indemnification Statutes ,
Construction Contracts ,
Construction Industry ,
Design Professionals ,
Design-Build ,
Duty to Defend ,
Governor Cooper ,
Indemnification ,
Indemnity Agreements ,
Negligence ,
New Legislation ,
Third-Party
In its broadest sense, the "economic loss rule" prohibits recovery in tort for purely economic loss incurred under contract law.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary online defines tort as "a wrongful act other than breach of...more