Kurtz & Blum, PLLC

09/24/2026

Congratulations to Will Shuford, who was sworn in to the federal bar on August 27, 2026!

With his federal admission, Will can now represent clients facing federal charges in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

This is an exciting professional milestone and expands the services Will can provide to our clients.

We’re proud of you, Will!

09/23/2026

09/22/2026

The dividing line is narrower than most people expect, and it's about dates, not names.

In North Carolina, marital property generally includes any asset or debt acquired by either spouse after the date of marriage and before the date of separation. Two things follow from that:

Debt is property too. A credit card in one spouse's name, a loan taken out during the marriage — those enter the analysis alongside the house and the retirement account. Division isn't just about who gets what; it's also about who carries what.

Whose name is on it matters less than when it was acquired. Titling is not the whole answer.

This is also why the date of separation carries so much weight in a North Carolina case. It closes the window. Assets and debts acquired after it are generally outside the marital estate, which is why establishing that date precisely is often one of the first real fights in a divorce.

09/18/2026

A common and costly misunderstanding in North Carolina.

**A dismissal** means the charge was dropped. The case is over. But **the record of the charge remains**, and it can still surface on a background check, showing an arrest and a dismissal.

**An expungement** erases the record. Legally, it's treated as though it never happened, and it becomes invisible to most background checks.

In North Carolina, **a criminal charge becomes part of your public record even if you're never convicted**. Being found not guilty or having the charge(s) dismissed doesn't always clear the record on its own.

On eligibility: recent dismissals may qualify for automatic expunction. Older ones generally require a court order and a petition. Eligibility varies by the type of charge, so the answer is genuinely case-specific, but "the case was dismissed, so I'm fine" is not a safe assumption.

09/16/2026

There's no single "domestic violence" charge in North Carolina. The alleged conduct determines the level.

**Misdemeanor level** typically covers assault charges.

**Felony level** covers conduct like assault by strangulation or assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

What doesn't vary is the permanence. **A conviction at any level stays on your record permanently**.

Beyond the record, a conviction can carry:
• A **federal fi***rm ban** that functions as permanent in most cases
• A **no-contact order**
• Jail or prison time, ranging from probation up to years depending on the offense

One point that surprises people: **an arrest doesn't require physical evidence**. A great many criminal cases in North Carolina, domestic violence very much included, rest on the testimony of a single witness. No injury, no photographs, no corroboration. A charge can proceed on the word of one person.

Dismissed cases may be eligible for expungement. Domestic violence convictions are not.

09/14/2026

The most common question: how long does this take?

In North Carolina, an absolute divorce requires **one year of separation** before you can file. That's a statutory prerequisite, not a guideline, and there is no version of the process that skips it.

After you file, expect roughly **60 days** or more to finalize, depending on your county's court calendar.

Here's the part people miss: **you don't have to wait out the year to address everything else**. Claims for equitable distribution (property division) and alimony can be filed as soon as you separate. Do not sit still for twelve months while assets move and circumstances change.

And an affair doesn't shortcut it. Marital misconduct can support a claim for divorce from bed and board or factor into alimony, but absolute divorce still requires the separation year.

09/10/2026

**You do not have to answer questions.** Beyond providing your name and identifying information, you are not required to answer police questions in North Carolina.

**You can ask for identification.** You have the right to ask an officer to identify themselves.

**You do still have to produce documents.** In a traffic stop, an officer can require your driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance, and can order you out of the vehicle.

**Do not consent to a search.** This is the one people give away most often. An officer asking permission is worth noticing — but it doesn't tell you whether they could search anyway. Either way, declining is your right, and consenting hands over authority they may not otherwise have had.

**Ask for a lawyer immediately if you're arrested.** Then stop talking beyond basic identifying information like your name and address.

None of this is about being difficult or obstructive. You can be entirely calm and polite while declining to answer questions and declining a search. It's about protecting yourself.

09/08/2026

Sleeping in the guest room does not start the clock.

In North Carolina, you are legally separated when two things are true at the same time: you and your spouse live in separate residences, and at least one of you intends to end the marital relationship. Living under the same roof — separate bedrooms, separate schedules, separate finances — does not meet the standard. Neither does a temporary split with no intent behind it.

Two details that surprise people:

🔹 Only one spouse needs the intent. Both parties do not have to agree to separate. If one spouse moves out intending to end the marriage, the separation period begins.

🔹 Occasional intimacy doesn't reset the clock. Isolated contact during the separation year generally does not restart it. Actually resuming the marriage does. North Carolina courts encourage reconciliation and don't punish an attempt at it.

That date matters more than almost any other date in a North Carolina divorce, because everything else counts forward from it.

09/04/2026

The biggest myth about prenuptial agreements: they're only for celebrities and millionaires. In reality, a prenup can make sense for a lot of couples.

Early in a relationship, it's usually clear what belongs to whom, and both people tend to be focused on what's fair to the other. That's arguably the best possible moment to put expectations in writing.

A prenup isn't a sign you expect the marriage to fail. It's a sign that two reasonable adults want to protect each other from day one.