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Articles Posted in Advice

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Ask Carolyn: August 2, 2018

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Readers, today we have another Lolita story, and unfortunately, this kind of story is more common than you might think. The second question concerns an aging parent, who is perhaps incompetent. Dear Carolyn, I am in a book club with a group of women. One of the women in…

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Presenting Drug Paraphernalia as Evidence in a Custody Trial

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Carolyn, I read an article about a man who took marijuana to the courtroom in Greensboro. My ex-spouse smokes marijuana, and we are getting ready for a custody trial over our three-year-old. After my ex moved out, I found some drug paraphernalia the ex left behind in my home.…

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Thoughts on Teaching Children Sign Language

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Carolyn, I am a grandmother with an adorable sixteen-month-old grandson. He has recently started a preschool while his parents work. He is learning sign language, which I think is like deaf people learn and use. I don’t remember learning about this when my children were babies. What do you…

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Ask Carolyn: July 19, 2018

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Readers, two of you submitted very exciting questions in frequently misunderstood areas in the nuances of family law. Question one deals with custody as part of a Chapter 50B domestic violence protective order. The second question deals with cohabitation when you are the recipient of alimony under an order…

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Ask Carolyn: July 5, 2018

Carolyn Woodruff

Today’s Ask Carolyn addresses the marriage of minor children in the United States and a domestic violence situation involving parents who won’t allow their 20-year-old to move out. Dear Carolyn, I am concerned about an article I recently read concerning underage girls as young as 12 and 13 years old marrying…

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Ask Carolyn: June 21, 2018

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Readers, Today’s second Ask Carolyn addresses separation as a potential tipping point for suicide and discusses the recent suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, both of whom were separated from their spouses. Dear Carolyn, I am in the midst of a divorce, and I am devastated, alone and…

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My Adult Child is Suicidal. What Legal Options Do I Have?

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Carolyn, I am a concerned mother of a 19-year-old boy, who has a drug issue and is prone to suicidal threats. He did try to kill himself once when he was age sixteen, and he was placed in the behavioral health section of a local hospital for treatment. He…

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Ask Carolyn: June 7, 2018

Carolyn Woodruff

Our first reader today finds herself in a very difficult situation: her husband is abusing opioids and alcohol, and their children are aware. She knows divorce is the only option if her husband won’t get clean, but is worried, as he supports their family. Our second reader has been separated…

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Fraudulent Tax Returns and Child Support

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Carolyn, I have an example of corruption that exists in the family court system in North Carolina. My ex-wife is requesting increased child support. When I requested all of her financial documents, she provided fraudulent tax returns to the courts in order to gain increased child support payments from…

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Recognizing Abusive Relationships

Carolyn Woodruff

Dear Carolyn, I am married for the second time. My first husband, who I divorced, was physically and verbally abusive. I got out. The problem is I am right back in a miserable, abusive relationship—although quite different. This second husband (and might I add my last husband) is quite controlling…

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