Legal Question in Family Law in North Carolina
Legal Rights for a Married Woman
Can you please tell me, what are the legal rights of a woman who is married to someone that makes no efforts to help her in any financial matters. Meaning the man makes three times more a month than the woman, the woman has two children from a prioir marriage, however the new husband helps in no way with monetary help. He pays all the neccessary bills, but still no help in raising the children, which he knew she had custody of when they were married. There are times the woman will ask for money and she has to sign a promisory note, before even borrowing five dollars. Thanks in advance for any help.
2 Answers from Attorneys
support for step-children
NC requires that the husband provide his wife and natural or adopted children with necessaries. The statute specifically provides that it is the parents of the child who have a duty to support the child. What kind of support is the biological father providing?
Support of step-children
I'm afraid that you may be out of luck in NC as to your husband's support of his step-children. He probably has no legal obligation to or for them, financially. Of course, he is not entitled to abuse them, but that's another legal matter altogether. Did you think that he would take on a financial obligation to them because he married you? No, their natural father has the legal obligation to support his kids, unless his parental rights have been terminated. He's the one that you (through the court system, perhaps) should be going after. If he is a deadbeat, then I'm afraid you're "up the creek" in NC. The stepfather has obligations to YOU (as a spouse), but NOT to stepchildren, financially. Sorry.
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