Family law judges hear cases involving:

• Juvenile delinquency
• Abuse, neglect and dependency allegations
• Termination of parental rights
• Domestic violence
• Child custody and visitation rights
• Divorce and related financial issues like child support, alimony, and equitable distribution of property

Family law judges hear domestic and child welfare matters and receive specialized training to increase their expertise. North Carolina district courts consolidate and assign a family's legal issues before a single district court judge or team of judges. This allows judges to become familiar with and better address each family's issues, and keeps families from having to recount their history for multiple judges at each hearing.

Together, dedicated judges and staff implement policies that promote prompt and just resolution of family law issues. Effective and intensive case management implemented by courts includes:

• Court supervision of case progress
• A case assignment system
• Control of continuances
• Early dispositions and firm trial dates

Time standards vary by type of action but ideally family law issues will be resolved within a year of filing.

Publications

Family Court Program Annual Report

Annual Reports on North Carolina’s unified family court programs.

View all Family Law publications

Parent education programs make divorcing parents or parents living in separate homes aware of the needs of their children during and after the divorce process and when children are parented in separate homes. Court-sponsored parent education programs incorporate a video entitled The Most Important Job (Spanish version) that provides guidance for parents from professionals as well as from the child's perspective.

Parent Education Program

The Family Law Advisory Commission (FLAC) provides a coordinated approach to the development, management, and evolution of family law in North Carolina's courts. Members of the FLAC meet quarterly. Members are appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina for a three-year term. Members include judges from both appellate courts, chief district court judges, clerks of superior court, court administrators, custody mediators, guardians ad litem, domestic and juvenile attorneys, and various other court partners. The charge of the Commission is to:

• Advise the Chief Justice and the NCAOC Director on family law issues, including automation efforts;
• Make recommendations about future legislative action, including needed statutory changes, budgetary suggestions, or recommendations for expansion of the program statewide;
• Review and make recommendations about the interrelationship between family court and other court programs, such as guardian ad litem, child custody mediation, family drug courts, and family financial settlement; and
• Oversee the further development of the family court training curriculum.

View FLAC meetings and minutes.

Contact your county court for more information.