Posts by Steven B. Ockerman

Divorce is often a difficult, lengthy, and expensive process. However, there are various ways to approach it that can influence the duration, cost, and emotional toll. At Epperson Law Group in Charlotte, we understand that every divorce is unique, and we are committed to helping our clients explore their options. Whether you’re seeking a faster,…

When stay-at-home parents contact our firm with questions about going through divorce and wanting to ensure that they will be financially secure for the future, they can be difficult and tricky to answer without knowing the couple’s unique background story. Most of the time, one spouse has decided to make their life about taking care…

During a divorce, if you believe that you and your ex-spouse can remain cordial and work together without any huge disagreements, you may be able to pursue divorce mediation. Divorce mediation is a process in which a couple is able to avoid going before a judge and having the judge decide about their divorce agreements,…

Once a divorce is finalized it’s time to resume your life, as much as you possibly can. A step that many recent divorcees take is buying a new home or car. You might think that a big ticket purchase might be years down the road for you, but it can be done if you plan…

Social media and technology have become a big part of everyone’s daily lives. While social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, are good ways to share what is going on with your life, what activities you are involved in, and keep in touch with your friends and family, they are also used…

Co-parenting can be challenging for parents, especially when they have been involved in a very difficult divorce or custody battle. Therefore, when fathers receive joint custody or even visitation, they may have a tough time understanding what exactly co-parenting means. They may think that it means “the mother parents one way when it is her…

Recently, a woman named Christina Pasqualetto made headlines when she went into a rage after her husband, Jon Pasqualetto, would not stop their divorce. She clearly did not want to get a divorce from her husband, but he insisted that a divorce was the best option for them and would not cancel the divorce. They…

Forbes Advisor recently commissioned a study of 1,000 Americans divorced or in the process of divorce to find out why their marriages ended. Researchers ended up with a plethora of information about the current state of marriage and divorce. According to Forbes, there were 689,308 divorces in 2021, noting that “approximately half of all first marriages…

Divorce can be a tumultuous journey, particularly when it comes to untangling marital finances. Within the complex web of financial obligations, debt, entitlements, and spousal support often take center stage, shaping the outcomes of divorce proceedings. One story that sheds light on this topic comes from a hardworking mother of two who was left to…

Child custody cases can be emotionally charged, often shaped by societal misconceptions and personal biases. Unfortunately, the young and impressionable minds of children are not immune to these effects. Depending on who controls the narrative, children in broken families can grow up believing falsehoods about one or both parents, shaping the entire course of their…

Actor Kevin Costner’s wife Christine filed for divorce in May, yet Costner claims she has not moved out of their home per the terms of their prenuptial agreement. According to the celebrity gossip site TMZ, “Kevin says according to their prenup, Christine had 30 days to vacate the home he owns when she filed for…

We often hear stories of disputes arising between divorced parents over child support, visitation rights, and custody arrangements. However, a recent story that has gained attention on social media highlights a different kind of disagreement that can occur between exes – the question of who should pay for expensive items that a child has damaged…

When we think of bullying, we shouldn’t just imagine a school with a group of students taunting someone in the hallway. Unfortunately, in the legal world, litigious bullying happens and often leaves plaintiffs feeling powerless and pressured. It’s a malicious form of trying to intervene in the outcome of a case. If the opposing lawyer…

A recent case was heard by the Supreme Court in February 2023 involving a woman who tried to use bankruptcy protections to avoid paying her partner’s debts. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that bankruptcy filers are still responsible for paying for debt incurred by their partners and cannot use this as a form of protection…

Imagine the unthinkable happens. Your children are taken away from you, and you don’t know where they are. You don’t know if they are safe. Are they scared? Are they hungry? Are they hurt? The questions and fears multiply. It is a haunting scenario, one that no parent wants to experience. But, sometimes children are…

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it hundreds of times – nobody gets married thinking they’ll one day get divorced. However, divorce does happen and at one point it might happen to you. The best plan for anything in life is to be prepared. This is why we have insurance, right? Nobody plans to…

Not every marriage lasts forever, and that’s okay. When a couple makes the decision to divorce, it is usually done in private and behind closed doors. When one or both of the spouses are well-known, they sometimes mutually release a public statement regarding the split, either through traditional press or social media. However, TikToker Victoria…

A couple recently shocked the online community when they announced the discovery that, after 10 years of marriage, they are actually brother and sister. In a short TikTok with very few details, the husband revealed they discovered they were siblings after 13 years together. In the TikTok, the unnamed husband tells the camera he and…

Divorce is rarely easy on a family, especially when children are involved. In most cases, both parents want to do what’s best for the child. However, when emotions run high, spouses (or ex-spouses) may disagree on exactly what this means. And in the most extreme cases, when one parent decides to take matters into their…

A premarital agreement is created before a marriage to protect spouses in the event of a divorce. It can also add the transparency that might help them avoid the mistrust and disagreements that can crop up during the marriage that may lead the couple to divorce. Most people do not get married expecting that the…

For some couples, divorce becomes necessary and cannot be avoided, even though it can be hurtful, difficult, and complicated, particularly for their children. When parents decide to divorce, teenagers are sometimes caught completely unaware, while others are surprised the split took as long as it did. However, no matter which camp teens are in when…

Suppose you and your significant other aren’t married, but you’re in a long-term relationship. The two of you are tired of renting so you decide to look for a house to purchase together. Since one of you is working and the other is currently unemployed, it made sense to put only the employed partner on…

In a family law case that feels straight out of a Lifetime movie, a Brazilian judge ordered two brothers to pay child support to the mother of a nine-year-old girl. The reason? The brothers are identical twins who used their resemblance to each other to deceive women, including the mother. Due to their dishonesty and…

Before you come into a marriage with a significant amount of your own money, it is important to know what your rights are and learn all the possibilities of what could happen to it. No one likes to think of death or divorce during such a happy time, but it is a necessity when you…