Last Thursday, over 100 people gathered together at the Johnston County courthouse to remember victims of domestic violence incidents in the county.

In the last month Johnston County has seen a number of high profile domestic violence cases, including one recent one resulting in the death of a 4-year old girl.  A week earlier, Devinne House and her son were killed by her husband and on July 1st, Elizabeth Reyes was shot by and killed by her husband.   

A spokesperson for Harbor Inc., a Johnston County non-profit helping domestic violence victims, stated, "This is a severe problem in all communities, not just Johnston County...It's all across North Carolina and the United States".  

Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle stated, "As friends, as neighbors, as family members, we can make a promise to do a better job; to be aware of circumstances that might be occurring right next door or in our families and not be afraid to step in".  

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the remembered victims. 

ABC's "Primetime" recently followed an Arizona couple, 50-year old Chris and 52-year old Shari Stewart, through their mediation and divorce process.  While most couples working through a divorce chose to live separately, the Stewarts have been forced to continue living under the same roof due to the nation's economic troubles and housing market downfall.  

The Stewarts live in a 5,000 square foot million-dollar home in Tempe that has dramatically fallen in value over the past few years.  The couple has been married for 18 years and have three children, ages 16, 12, and 11.  The two told their children last August they would be getting a divorce and would stay living together until they sold the house, but they still continue to live together today.

"Primetime" has documented the Stewarts' nine months living together and working with a mediator to try to resolve their problems.  

If you or someone you know is in need of divorce mediation, contact the Raleigh divorce mediation attorneys of Marshall & Taylor P.C. at 919-833-1040 to learn more. 

Stacy Doss of California adopted her daughter Vanessa before she was even born.  Doss adopted Vanessa from a single pregnant woman in Dayton, Ohio who said she didn't know the baby's father.  In fact, the father was a part of the woman's life and even fathered two of her four children.

DNA tests prove that Benjamin Mills Jr. is Vanessa's father and now, he is trying to claim custody of the two-year old.  Mills has a record of domestic violence and drug possession, which Doss hoped would serve in her favor.  However, after a long battle, judges agreed to give custody of Vanessa to her birth father in Ohio.  Doss stated plans to appeal the courts decision.  

If you or someone you know are facing a child custody dispute, contact the Raleigh child custody lawyers of Marshall & Taylor, P.C. at 919-833-1040 to learn more about your rights. 

A divorced couple in Maryland were granted split custody of their beloved 16-pound gray-black Lhasa Apso.  A sympathetic Judge Graydon S. McKee III recognized during divorce proceedings that they were both responsible and loving pet owners, and so agreed to allow them to split custody of the dog into two six month periods a year.  

McKee stated, "It was very clear that both of them love this dog equally ... The only fair thing to do was to give each one an equal chance to share the love of the dog".  McKee also said that he does own dogs, but his love for dogs did not factor into his decision.  "I really applied good common sense ... Treat other people the way you would want to be treated if you were in that situation".

Under Maryland law, pets are considered jointly owned property and are to be sold if the owner's split up and cannot agree on who should keep them.  The proceeds from the sale are then split between the owners.  

If you or someone you know is considering filing for divorce, contact the Raleigh divorce lawyers of Marshall & Taylor P.C. at 919-833-1040 to learn more about your rights. 

A new study done by three researchers at Brown University, Harvard University, and The University of California San Diego shows that the chances of somebody getting a divorce dramatically increase when those around them are going through a divorce or are divorced.

Their results showed that people with a divorced friend are 75 percent more likely to get a divorce than people whose friends are happily married.  People with friends of friends who are divorced are 33 percent more likely to become divorced.  Furthermore, people with divorced coworkers are 55 percent more likely to get a divorce than people with married coworkers.  People with a divorced sibling are 22 percent more likely to become divorced than people with married siblings.

The researches named this phenomenon  "divorce clustering".

If you or someone you know is considering filing for divorce, contact the Raleigh divorce lawyers of Marshall & Taylor P.C. at 919-833-1040 to learn more about your rights. 

On July 10th, the second annual Butterfly 5K Fun Run will be taking place at 8:30 AM in WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina to benefit victims of domestic violence in memory of Nancy Cooper.

Nancy Cooper was from Cary and was found dead in an undeveloped subdivision just miles from her home in July 2008.  Cooper's friends and family believe that her husband was abusing her and cut her off financially, making it difficult for her and her two daughters to leave.  Cooper's husband, Bradley Cooper, is in jail waiting trial in October.  

Proceeds of the run will go to Nancy's Butterfly Fund, a program that helps women in abusive situations become more financially independent and able to escape unhealthy or dangerous situations.  The fund was established in 2009 in memory of Nancy Cooper.  A Butterfly Fund organizer stated, "Not only do we remember our friend, but in her honor, others are helped".

In a recent interview with People Magazine, Elizabeth Edwards reveals that she and husband John Edwards will not divorce, but will remain separated unless one decides to remarry.  In cases of separation, spouses are not legally permitted to remarry.  In order to remarry a divorce is necessary.

Former presidential candidate and North Carolina governor John Edwards admitted to having an affair with a former campaign videographer after she revealed that he had fathered her child.

In her interview, Elizabeth explains that it was not easy to leave her husband of 32 years after learning of the affair.  Furthermore, she says she found strength in her mother, whose husband was also unfaithful and taught her "how to continue your life on your own terms when somehow it becomes savaged by people you never invited into it".

The two will be selling their $5.5 million mansion in Chapel Hill.

If you or someone you know is considering separation, contact the Raleigh separation lawyers of Marshall & Taylor P.C. at 919-833-1040 to learn more about your rights.