Jennifer R. Smith, Attorney at Law

Our law firm is hiring a family law paralegal or legal assistant:

Legal Assistant/Paralegal/Administrative - Raleigh, NC 27615 - Indeed.com The Doyle Law Group, P.A.

If you are wondering what the process is for getting a passport for your child when you are divorced, take a look at this helpful link: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/under-16.html #:~:text=If%20one%20parent%2Fguardian%20cannot,with%20the%20child's%20passport%20application.

Apply for a Child's U.S. Passport How to apply for your child's U.S. passport.

New headshot courtesy of my talented husband!

Looking for a mover you can trust to take care of your things? Look no further!

Are you looking for a moving company to help you will your next stop in life? Whether you are moving state to state or right down the road, Allyson Hawkins and Mrs. Move can get your valuable possessions to your new home or business safely and stress free.

As a woman owned business, they take extra care in providing their customers with personalized service. They can even pack your items!

Reach out to them today at 919-537-5449 or at [email protected] for you personalized quote.

I was chatting with someone yesterday about pets and divorce. North Carolina, at this point, treats them as "property." Could the law evolve to better address family pets beyond the aspect of being "property"? What could that look like? Other considerations: sharing of costs, end of life/medical treatment decisions. There is quite a bit to think about even beyond custodial time.

I ran across this Time article on the subject. It is a few years old, but still interesting. Thankfully, North Carolina does address pets in our Domestic Violence statutes to offer protection.

Pets Are Part of Our Families. Now They’re Part of Our Divorces, Too Divorce attorneys say these fights are becoming more common

There are so many amazing Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes it is hard to pick one to post. Here is an article that lists the quotes found on the memorial in Washington, DC.

Quotations - Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." From the "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963. The quotation serves as the theme of the overall design of the memorial, which realizes the metaphorical mountain and stone.

This made me think about my family law clients.

Your blessing may come in different packaging than you expected. Don’t miss it.
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I had a chance to visit with the awesome folks with the Johnston County Chapter of TANG yesterday. Aimee was the speaker, and filled us in on what she offers as a photographer. Wanted to pass along in her information if you need new photos for your website, personal use or your pets!

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Aimee Radic with Aimee Sue Photography

Aimee Sue Photography is located on Main St in downtown Clayton, NC. Aimee loves taking creative pictures of humans and pets alike! She specializes in photos of senior graduates, couples, weddings, and families. She will even take adorable pictures of your furry family members. And if you need branding photos for your business, she can help with that too.

Aimee also leads a Senior and Junior Ambassador program to help teens make new friends and build confidence.

Reach out to her today for your photography needs! Find out more at www.aimeesuephotography.com or contact her at 984-277-7552 or [email protected].

I ran across this on facebook and thought it was worth posting. I hope you all have a safe and peaceful New Year! Don't forget to take care of you in 2023!

I hope everyone has a safe and peaceful holiday season!

So excited to start P.C. training in January! Thanks to Mary Baker Reconnu for giving my announcement an upgrade. :)

Love this! Thanks for sharing Kamini Wood Certified Life Coach

I am getting back on the social media bandwagon ya'll! I have included a picture of my dog Georgia from the Thanksgiving holiday. She was really wanting a bite of my mac and cheese!

I was driving into work this morning and thinking about the holiday crunch coming up. We all celebrate many holidays, and some folks do not. What comes up though, is how to split the long winter/holiday break, if not the particular holiday.

My quick tips:

Do you have a child custody Order in place or a signed Agreement regarding custody? Pull it out and read what holiday provisions are included, if any.

Do you not understand the language of the Order/Agreement or does it not address the issue you are having regarding the holiday? Consider consulting with an attorney to get direction on what your Order/Agreement provides or what your rights are based on what is or is not in the Order/Agreement.

If there is no Order/Agreement, start the conversation EARLY about how to handle the holidays! The closer we get to the holidays, the less likely that you will be able to meet with an attorney to get assistance with the issue.

How do people divide these holidays/breaks? There are many ways you can do it: split the actual day, designate a few days as "Christmas holiday" that is treated differently from the regular custody schedule, split the winter break, or alternate the entire break every other year. Often these holidays are switched every year so each parent gets an even share of the holiday.

What arrangement works best can depend on family traditions as well as the logistics of the holiday celebrations (are we going to Durham for Christmas dinner or traveling to California?) among many other variables.

Each family is unique, which is why these custody schedules need to be as detailed and tailored to the family's needs as possible.

Do you have questions about holiday custodial time? Feel free to give our office a call for a consultation at 919-578-6440.

Let's make the holidays as peaceful as possible by being proactive with our plans!

Back on the website :)

Jennifer R. Smith - Campbell Family Law Family Law - Jennifer is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law who has focused her legal career exclusively towards family law.

This was such a good read. Highly recommend you check it out

I Loved Co-Parenting With My Ex. When He Suddenly Died, My World Changed. "Nothing prepared me for my daughter's call one afternoon. 'Ryan thinks Daddy’s dead!' she blurted when I answered."

Something I was thinking about this week was doing some videos on how to prepare financial affidavits or other documents. Not in a stiff formal manner but as if you were sitting at my kitchen table - low key and possibly some humor involved. I may or may not be in comfy clothes and have a cup of coffee in hand.....

I admit I am not a fan of seeing myself on videos or in pictures, but just got to thinking that sending a video with instructions may be more helpful than sending an email with type written information. Preparing those documents can be so overwhelming, I thought doing it in a more casual light-hearted may take away some of the stress.

Thoughts?

*Shout out to the copier company for the inspiration - a you tube video link versus verbal instructions was awesome.

Are you familiar with cryptocurrency?

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/technology/divorce-bitcoin-crypto.html #:~:text=deSouza%20had%20failed%20to%20properly,the%20first%20major%20Bitcoin%20divorce.

Divorcing Couples Fight Over the Kids, the House and Now the Crypto Dividing the family’s Bitcoin stash has become a major source of contention in divorce cases.

https://www.onemomsbattle.com/ I discovered this page on Facebook and have found some very helpful information dealing with a narcissist parent in custody issues. Wanted to share. The information is neutral as far as Mom or Dad, it focuses on parents who have narcissistic ex-partners/co-parent

One Mom's Battle | Divorcing A Narcissist with Tina Swithin Founded by Tina Swithin, One Mom's Battle, is a community and educational resource for navigating the family court system while divorcing a narcissist...

Want to help the people of the Ukraine? Found this helpful resource:

How to Help the People of Ukraine Where to donate to support those on the ground as the Russian invasion escalates.

Good information for our current times.

What to say to kids when the news is scary : Parenting: Difficult Conversations Whether a school shooting or a deadly tornado, scary events in the news can leave parents struggling to know when — and how — they should talk with their kids about it. Rosemarie Truglio of Sesame Workshop and Tara Conley, a media studies professor at Montclair State University, give us tips.

Excited to visit this new Cary business!

It’s been a LONG week. We were up till 3AM at the store assembling chairs, getting the store together and so much more. Seeing everything come to life yesterday was an absolute dream come true. Thank you to all of the bloggers, influencers, and everyone in between who came out yesterday to get a sneak peek! We enjoyed meeting you all and thank you for showing us so much support and love. See you all on the 5th! 🥰

Great Information for dealing with a Narcissistic Ex in Court. Observing a court hearing to get a sense of the proceedings and the judge is a great suggestion.

How To Deal With A Narcissistic Ex In Court Dealing with someone who suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the family court system is a daunting task that is made even more difficult if you are in pro se, or self-represented.

This is one of my favorite things about practicing family law!

This would not fit on instagram, so sharing here. There is no reason to abuse your child because "you are the parent." Get your anger under control. Teach your child what it means to be a decent human being and not a bully. That is my Wednesday rant for the day. I say that, but could be more.....haha

Deciding how to handle holiday custodial time should be done well in advance. 🎄🎄🎄🎄

🎄Do you have a child custody court order or legal agreement? Double check the terms now to make plans for the holidays.

🎄 No agreement? Now is the time to have that conversation. If you two cannot agree, there are few options to force a holiday arrangement.

🎄Give yourself plenty of time to solidify your holiday plans to avoid unnecessary stress and sad children.

🎄How about my crooked little tree? I kinda love it. Haha.