Divorce is never easy. And the situation can become more difficult when the couple has children. Determining custody can be emotional for all parties involved. Each spouse could have differing opinions on who gets custody of the children. However, in North Carolina, the magic words relating to custody are “in the best interests of the minor child(ren).” Family Law Attorneys are dedicated to preserving the best interests and safety of all children involved in a divorce situation. Any reputable firm will not support the use of the child(ren) as a “weapon” to gain an advantage in divorce litigation.

In North Carolina, the first step for child custody issues is mediation. Any party claiming child custody rights may file a court action. However, rather than hearing arguments, North Carolina courts will first schedule the custody issue for mediation (unless there is a reason to waive it). Causes for a waiver may include:

  • Drug or alcohol abuse allegations;
  • Domestic violence; or
  • Undue hardship on either party.

Shortly after the filing and service of the lawsuit (generally within 6-8 weeks), an order will be issued by the court directing the parties to participate in parent education and mediation orientation. Each party will be given a certain amount of time in which they need to complete parent education and mediation orientation. The parties must attend a one-time mediation orientation session and at least one mediation session. The parties remain in mediation as long as they and the mediator feel that they are make progress in resolving the custody/visitation dispute. If the parties are able to agree on a solution at mediation, the mediator will draft the agreement for the parties to sign and the agreement will be entered as an Order of the Court. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement and if one of the parties or the mediator feels that mediation is no longer a solution, the case will be closed in mediation and a trial will be scheduled to settle the custody/visitation issues.

The Court employs the mediator and there is no charge for the custody mediation program. Your lawyer is not directly involved in the mediation program and cannot attend any meetings with the mediator, however, he or she will be advised of the progress of the mediation and will be prepared to assist you with advice and support during the mediation program. Custody Mediation is successful in a high percentage of the cases in Mecklenburg County and offers you an opportunity to control the outcome of your own custody dispute.

If the parties can reach an agreement through mandatory mediation, the court will usually adopt it as an order. If mediation doesn’t result in an agreement, courts will make the determination themselves. After hearing all the evidence, a judge must decide the custodial arrangements for the child(ren). In North Carolina, there is no presumption as to which parent is a better parent. Except in unusual circumstances, the non-custodial spouse will receive substantial visitation privileges with the child(ren). A typical visitation or standard visitation schedule for a non-custodial parent, when both parties continue to live in the same geographical area, is alternate weekends, one-half of the school holidays and a few weeks during the summer. There is no presumptive visitation schedule, and the court welcomes visitation settlements agreed to or negotiated by the parties.

Types of Custody:

Legal Custody – Legal Custody determines which parent will have the authority to make major decisions affecting the welfare of the minor child(ren). Major decisions typically involve issues related to health, education and religion. There are different types of legal custody. A court can grant parents joint legal custody, sole legal custody or a combination of the two, which will grant one parent “final decision-making authority.”

  1. Joint legal custody gives each parent equal right to participate in making major decisions on behalf of the minor child(ren).
  2. Sole legal custody gives one parent the sole authority to make major decisions on behalf of the minor child(ren).


A court may also grant one parent the right “to make final decisions” which means that each parent will have to discuss with the other all major decisions affecting the welfare of the minor child(ren) in an attempt to come up with a mutual decision but if the parties are unable to mutually agree, then the parent who has “final decision-making authority” will make the final decision.

Physical Custody – There are generally three types of physical custody – primary physical custody, secondary physical custody and joint physical custody.

  1. Primary physical custody simply means that the minor child(ren) physically resides with one parent
  2. Secondary physical custody or visitation means the child(ren) visits with the other parent, but retains primary residence with the other parent.
  3. Joint physical custody is a true sharing of time with the child(ren) whereby each party will have equal time with the child(ren).

Keep in mind that there is different terminology for the same thing so while we refer to physical custody as primary, secondary and joint, others may refer to the same

EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP

MANAGING PARTNERS

Our firm has been a part of Charlotte and the surrounding area since 1964 and representing clients in Charlotte area for over 57 years.

The managing partners are well versed and experienced in the court procedures and trial strategies. They take time to fully understand their clients situation whether simple or complex and develop a personalized solution.

CLIENT

TESTIMONIALS

Mr. Plumides is a true advocate. I would highly recommend him, if you are in need. He represented me when I was falsely accused of domestic violence by my newlywed (now ex-)wife. I felt like everyone was against me, without hope, and kicked out of my own home. That is until I found Mr. Plumides, after reading many reviews. He had great reviews and now I know why. He was able to speak with me on my first call to his office. He gathered the facts, explained what to expect and immediately provided guidance as to how to proceed. After meeting in person, I was sure I had found the right attorney. He was extremely knowledgeable of NC law off the top of his head. If I called with an immediate question, he took my call immediately or returned it within a couple hours. I didn't feel like I was going it alone anymore. His staff was highly competent and professional. However, Greg would appear in court himself every step of the way and I knew the matter was being handled personally. As a result of his efforts, my charges were dismissed and subsequently expunged from my record. Did I mention that the flat fee I paid was extremely reasonable? Thank you Mr. Plumides, you are a true credit to your profession.
~ Matt
Mr. Plumides is a true advocate. I would highly recommend him, if you are in need. He represented me when I was falsely accused of domestic violence by my newlywed (now ex-)wife. I felt like everyone was against me, without hope, and kicked out of my own home. That is until I found Mr. Plumides, after reading many reviews. He had great reviews and now I know why. He was able to speak with me on my first call to his office. He gathered the facts, explained what to expect and immediately provided guidance as to how to proceed. After meeting in person, I was sure I had found the right attorney. He was extremely knowledgeable of NC law off the top of his head. If I called with an immediate question, he took my call immediately or returned it within a couple hours. I didn't feel like I was going it alone anymore. His staff was highly competent and professional. However, Greg would appear in court himself every step of the way and I knew the matter was being handled personally. As a result of his efforts, my charges were dismissed and subsequently expunged from my record. Did I mention that the flat fee I paid was extremely reasonable? Thank you Mr. Plumides, you are a true credit to your profession.
~ Matt
I've used Mr. Plumides for many cases over the years from custody to criminal and I want you to know he's a very special type of attorney. He's the type that literally has fallen in love with his work, the type to call you on a Sunday morning to discuss your case when you're worried and the type to protect you like your his own blood. I'll never use anyone else in the area and I strongly advise you at the very least to sit down with him if you're on the fence with representation and you'll see exactly what I'm referring to.
~ Michael Neighbors
Greg Plumides is an exceptional attorney! Greg has handled several of our families unfortunate situations over the years. Due to Greg and his teams overall knowledge, as well as, area of expertise each case has been met with success. A reduction in the ticket and even a full dismissal of the case. If you need help, Greg and his Team you can count on! Thank you once again Greg for the expectational service!
~ Kim Katopodis
Greg Plumides was a true advocate for me when I was falsely accused. If you need a knowledgeable, accessible, and hard working attorney on your side, look no further. Did I mention the very reasonable cost? Thank you, Mr. Plumides. (Full review to come on Avvo) Richard Johnson made my separation and divorce as painless as possible. Thank you, Mr. Johnson.
~ Matt Namin
Greg Plumides is a wonderful attorney. He was able to pull together an argument and he was able to get the case against me dismissed with only two days of prep time. I was served just before Easter weekend, so I was only just able to find an attorney that could help me, right before my court date the following Thursday. I began working with Greg on Tuesday evening, and by Thursday morning, he was ready to go. He is very easy to talk to, very knowledgeable and incredibly hard-working.
~ Garrett Reed
Mr. Plumides is an A+ lawyer for an affordable price. My child's mother not being happy with our current custody agreement in Ohio filed false charges of child abuse against me to have the jurisdiction and custody order changed. Child protective services got involved and i was charged criminally for child abuse and she tried to file two protective orders against me. My life was spiraling out of control and i didn't know what to do. I found Mr. Plumides and went for the consultation and knew right then based off of his ability to handle all of my cases (which eliminated me having to hire multiple lawyers), knowledge and experience he was the one i wanted to represent me. He was honest, reassuring, and fought very hard for my best interest. And it all paid off he had both protection orders dismissed. Negotiated on my behalf with child protective services and worked out a plan that i agreed with. And the criminal charge went to trial and was also dismissed. Mr. Plumides has helped me get control of my life back and I couldn't be more pleased with his services. I would most definitely recommend Mr. Plumides to anyone looking for a great lawyer at a reasonable price.
~ Michael Young
Greg Plumides represented me in my DWI case. I was completely blown away at how patient he was regarding the strategy we took. Greg always knew what to do and when to do it. When it came time for court, he was properly prepared and we won our case when everybody was telling me there was no way I was going to win. I would recommend Greg and Plumides Law Office to anyone.
~ Stew Andrew
Mr. Plumides is very knowledgeable about the legal process he helped my family when we were going through a very difficult time in our life. I would recommend him to anyone.
~ Yvonne Young
Mr. Plumides took my son's court case and he was in trouble and I needed a lawyer not a public defender. He did his job beyond what was expected. He answered calls, called me, went to see my son in jail, let me know he needed a nurse at one time. He got his sentence reduced a to fine that could have ended up being much jail time, more than that my son talks to me different on the phone and has more respect and is off the drugs he was on before he was arrested. Mr. Plumides would not give up and kept in touch with both of us and didn't keep us wondering what was going to happen next. Thank you Mr. Plumides, I would recommend you to anyone in Mecklenburg county. Wish you practiced in more counties.
~ Amanda Young
Mr Greg Plumides is one of the most or is the most informative DUI attorneys I've ever seen or been I had 2 DUI within 3yrs and both were dismissed, Thank you again sir.
~ Andre Chappelle
I wouldn't hesitate, and probably will have to, hire Mr. Plumides again. As a client, Greg spoke to me with positivity and certainty that was unbelievable, before the deposit was paid, I felt like I'd had won my case. Very straight to the point and had my back in the court room 100%. You get what you pay for , and yes Mr. Plumides does carry a hefty wage, but he left no stone unturned, and kept throwin punches on the fly.
~ Cam Coffing
I've used Mr. Plumides for many cases over the years from custody to criminal and I want you to know he's a very special type of attorney. He’s the type that literally has fallen in love with his work, the type to call you on a Sunday morning to discuss your case when you're worried and the type to protect you like you’re his own blood. I'll never use anyone else in the area and I strongly advise you at the very least to sit down with him if you're on the fence with representation and you'll see exactly what I'm referring too.
~ Michael Neighbors
Gregory Plumides was very professional, knowledgeable and efficient! Very experienced Attorney! He helped me to settle all my Divorce matters. I highly recommend his services.
~ Wilson
Greg Plumides represented me in my DWI case. I was completely blown away at how patient he was regarding the strategy we took. Greg always knew what to do and when to do it. When it came time for court, he was properly prepared and we won our case when everybody was telling me there was no way I was going to win. I would recommend Greg Plumides to anyone.
~ Stewart
Greg was very good to me through a traumatic year of waiting for court personnel, for doing nothing more than a fender bender in a grocery parking lot. Then being accused of a DUI two hours later by aggressive law enforcement in my own home. My only mistake was allowing my cell phone to interfere with a quick response, to a minor bump. Greg was a great lawyer and so well-versed in his field. He "tells it like it is". I would definitely put my trust in him again!
~ Lin
From the moment I met with Mr. Plumides, I knew I found a good attorney - one who was HONEST and truly cared about me and my situation. I was going through a divorce and I had used two other attorneys over the period of a year and half who were dishonest, and only interested in padding their own wallets. Mr. Plumides told me like it was, the TRUTH....He was always professional and his paralegal, Kristin, was excellent as well, and kept on top of everything. They both worked together as a team! His fees were reasonable and I didn't feel like he was "padding" every bill - just the exact opposite! He was extremely fair and truly has a heart of gold. At the end of a divorce or any other situation, most people dislike their attorney - I can honestly say that I think Mr. Plumides is a wonderful person and I was truly lucky to have met him!!!!!!!
~ Susan
Mr. Plumides took my case and made me see it different which has made me different. In court and out he is caring, professional, and treated me with the utmost respect. I was facing more than I thought I could handle and somehow, he reduced that by his knowledge and wisdom and not giving up by keeping in touch with me and visiting me. He is honest and caring and always ON TIME!!! Thank you again Mr. Plumides. I would recommend you to anyone searching for someone to take their case.
~ Clinton
After being involved in an auto accident, I contacted Greg Plumides. Choosing him to represent me turned out to be a great decision on my part! He and his paralegal, Kristin, kept me updated and informed as they searched out every avenue to be considered in the case. I ended up with much more of a settlement from the other party then I ever expected. Greg and Kristin were caring and honest, and truly looked out for my best interest. I would highly recommend Greg Plumides law offices to anyone.
~ Annie
Mr. Plumides took my case and made me see it different which has made me different. In court and out he is caring, professional, and treated me with the utmost respect. I was facing more than I thought I could handle and somehow, he reduced that by his knowledge and wisdom and not giving up by keeping in touch with me and visiting me. He is honest and caring and always ON TIME!!! Thank you again Mr. Plumides. I would recommend you to anyone searching for someone to take their case.
~ Clinton