Whether you are facing divorce, planning for your family's future, or starting a business, you deserve quality legal advice. The experienced attorneys of Stroud & Panetti, P.C. provide cost-effective solutions that anticipate future concerns. Divorce Business Law Criminal Defense North Carolina Estate Planning Lawyers: 336-724-2600
Stroud & Panetti, P.C.’s attorneys are experienced and well-versed in divorce and family law. We understand that each divorce is unique, and we offer legal solutions that will best protect you. The process of identifying and valuing tangible and intangible property can be confusing, so we work closely with you to explain the property distribution process, so you will understand your rights. In a divorce, many people believe that equitable division of marital property means everything is equally split. That is not always the case. Regardless of what each spouse believes they deserve, the division of marital property is made according to what is equitable, not what is equal.
Child Support
For a parent, concerns about child support can result in uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. We understand the importance of proper child care and the desire of all parties to pay their fair share. Our knowledgeable family law attorneys represent clients in all types of child support matters and understand that each child support case has a unique set of circumstances. We listen to our clients’ concerns and provide options to resolve their child support issues. Whether you need assistance with the initial stages of seeking or paying support or need to enforce or modify an existing order, we can help you.
Child Custody and Visitation
Disputes over child custody and visitation rights can arise during or after a relationship ends. Whether you need assistance with establishing child custody or with requesting a modification or enforcement of an existing custody order, we can help you. Life changes can and do impact the raising of children. We assist our clients in resolving new issues such as relocation to a new area or beginning life with a new partner. As a parent, you want to guide your child’s growth and development, and we are here to help you achieve that goal.
Adoption
Stepparent adoptions create a legal parent-child relationship to a child of a person to whom the adopting parent is married. While adopting a stepchild is not as complex as adopting an unrelated child, there is still a court process involved. This type of adoption requires either the consent of the other biological parent or the termination of the other biological parent’s rights by a court in addition to the consent of the adopting parent’s spouse. Home studies can be avoided if the step-parent and biological parent have been married for more than two years.
Paternity
Paternity of a child refers to the status of a father in relation to a child born outside of a marriage. A paternity action is the process of establishing a relationship to a child born outside of marriage usually for the purpose of support. Court proceedings for paternity can be brought by the father, mother or a personal representative of the child or mother, including state and local departments of social services. Paternity actions may be brought in in civil or criminal proceedings.
Premarital Agreement
Guardianship
As a result of injury, disease, or old age, all of us are at risk of becoming incapacitated or being unable to act for ourselves, either permanently or temporarily, at some point in our lives. Without a durable power of attorney in place, there is no one that can legally act on your behalf. An incompetency proceeding may have to be filed in Court, and after a Court hearing, a guardian appointed for you. This is expensive and time consuming. Let us help you with a durable power of attorney so that this expense may be avoided. If your loved one has failed to plan and doesn’t have a durable power of attorney, we will help you file an incompetency proceeding and obtain guardianship.
Spousal Support
Alimony and post-separation support are the two types of financial support awarded from one spouse to another. Alimony can be awarded to a financially dependent spouse from a financially supporting spouse. Post-separation support is often referred to as temporary alimony since it is paid during separation as temporary support before permanent alimony is awarded. Alimony is awarded after post-separation support ends, usually after the division of assets.
Child Abuse
Stroud & Panetti, PC must and will disclose your personal information, if required to do so by law or court order (non-exhaustive examples of legally required disclosures are disclosures to prevent a future crime or to report child abuse).
The rights and privileges that the child and father become entitled to once a legitimation is finalized include inheritance and succession rights. It also includes rights to bring suit for wrongful death of one another. Inheritance and succession rights are critical in the event a death occurs without a will and the estate has to be distributed as provided by the law of the state where a person resided when he or she dies.
Some of the most substantial decisions are formulated when creating a business, and they can have long term consequences. The first essential decision is what type of business will be suitable for your company. We are well versed in each type of business formation and will provide you with sound legal advice, so you will understand the best entity options for your business’s needs. The conventional business formations are...
Business Disputes
At Stroud & Panetti. P.C., we are experienced business attorneys who assist our clients in all areas of business law. The founding of a business is of the utmost importance, and we believe that a strong start will aid in leading to a successful and secure future. Throughout the years our attorneys have provided expert planning and legal advice to assist our clients in understanding the process of starting and building new or existing businesses.
Business Transactions
Is used for legal, financial, and business transactions. A Power of Attorney may take many forms such as a General Power of Attorney
North Carolina adopted the North Carolina Uniform Power of Attorney Act, which became effective in North Carolina on January 1, 2018, and provides detailed descriptions of actions the agent can take and standards under which the agent must act, providing guidance to those accepting the role of agent and comfort to principals signing a power of attorney. The new act make major changes particularly with respect to the agent’s authority to make gifts, change beneficiary designations, or change bank account designations. Additionally, North Carolina adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act which applies to agents acting under a power of attorney. Although powers of attorney executed before January 1, 2018, are still valid, as time passes we anticipate that reluctance to accept older powers of attorney may increase. You may wish to consider replacing older documents with new ones to take advantage of the new laws and to provide that your agent shall have access to your digital assets. The new power of attorney law also removes the requirement that durable powers of attorney be recorded (except in the case of real estate transactions). (Healthcare powers of attorney are not affected by these statutes.)
Whether you are at an advanced age or not, and whether your health is such that you anticipate the eventual need for long-term care, it is still a sound idea to plan for the preservation of your assets, should nursing home or assisted living become necessary. Due to longer life spans and the expense of long term care, individuals and families may not have sufficient assets to pay for all the long-term nursing care that is needed, and Medicaid must be used. The Medicaid rules and regulations are extremely complex and frequently change. Doing something a neighbor did with his parent a few years back is fraught with peril. Let us help you navigate through the complex Medicaid rules and regulations so that everything you worked so hard to build and save will not be lost. You want an experienced attorney to help you put measures in place to help you qualify for Medicaid and protect your estate and heirs to the extent possible.
Stroud & Panetti PC’s attorneys are experienced and knowledgeable estate planning practitioners. We establish long term relationships with our clients and continue to assist as their financial needs change and grow. We understand the many options and ramifications in estate planning and are here to help you make the best choices t for you and your family.
Wills
If you need to make a Last Will and Testament, we are here to help you with that process. However, please understand that a written attested will must be signed in the presence of two witnesses and before a notary public. Therefore, your exposure to a minimum of three other people is required as is their exposure to you. The signing can be at our office, or we can come to your home. Please call us, and we will discuss the safest and best approach for you and us.
Trusts
Preparing a Trust (such as special needs trust, living or testamentary trust, marital assets trust, and revocable or irrevocable trust)
Power of Attorney
Drafting durable powers of attorney that authorizes your representative to make legal decisions should you lack legal capacity
We begin with understanding your financial situation and identifying your goals. For estate planning to be productive and beneficial, we will have clear communication about your needs. There are many different strategies available, from simple wills to wills with sophisticated tax planning, from trusts for the benefit of minor children or family trusts to complex trusts, from living trusts to testamentary trusts, and our experienced attorneys will review the best options for you to protect your assets and reduce your risk of tax penalties and probate costs. We can assist you by...