Daphne Edwards | Divorce & Family Law, PC | Attorneys At Law
Contact Us Today | 919-891-8552
Daphne Edwards | Divorce & Family Law, PC | Attorneys At Law

When It Comes To Your Family, Experience Is Critical.

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Skilled Legal Counsel In Matters That Affect Children

Custody and children’s cases are challenging legal matters that could leave long-term impacts on the lives of you and your children. From emergency child custody orders to modification and enforcement actions, child legal cases can be complex and require the skilled hand of an experienced attorney.

Our lawyer at Daphne Edwards Divorce & Family Law, PC, has decades of litigation experience. Daphne Edwards used to do appellate work for the 9th Circuit, high-level work just below the Supreme Court, during which she won numerous appeals. She is also an excellent writer, which comes in handy for emergency custody cases because these cases are not typically handled before a judge but are rather written for a judge to review.

Ms. Edwards focuses on high-conflict custody cases, including:

  • Trial and litigation
  • Parents with substance abuse problems
  • Parents who struggle with mental health issues
  • Transgender children

She handles a range of legal cases involving children and has decades of professional experience and winning results you can count on.

What Is An Emergency Custody Order?

One important type of child custody order that our lawyer handles is emergency child custody orders – also known as ex parte orders. Courts issue these short-term orders in emergency situations without hearings. Some situations in which ex parte orders may be necessary include those involving:

However, the court must schedule a prompt hearing for both parties after issuing an emergency custody order.

Either parent can file for child custody, whether it’s emergency custody or standard custody. When appropriate, a third party, such as the child’s grandparent or other family member, may seek custodial or visitation rights. These instances are rare. The third party must demonstrate that the child’s biological parents are not fit to care for the child or have not behaved accordingly as the child’s parents. Nonrelatives seeking custody must also prove that they have a substantial relationship with the child.

Emergency child custody orders are complex, as they do provide substantial and immediate custody rights, but they do not last forever. Emergency orders last until the next hearing for a final order, which may or may not have the same terms. An experienced attorney can better help you navigate this process as well as any other child-related legal matters.

Custody And Child Cases We Handle

Our lawyer walks parents through a variety of legal matters concerning their children, including:

  • Child custody: She can help you build a strong case for legal and/or physical custody of your children, whether through a separation agreement, mediation or litigation.
  • Child support: The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines determine the base child support that the noncustodial parent is expected to pay, calculated from both parents’ individual incomes. Our attorney can help you estimate the child support amount and how you might deviate from this amount.
  • Assisted reproduction/surrogacy: She also can help new and hopeful parents navigate fertility issues by exploring assisted reproduction options, such as surrogacy, egg donation, sperm donation and embryo donation.
  • Modification enforcement actions: If you seek to modify your existing custody order or enforce an order due to the other parent’s willful violation of the order, attorney Edwards can help you take legal action for modification or enforcement.
  • LGBTQ+ custody: She can guide you through all your parenting matters as an LGBTQ+ parent, such as establishing parental rights by an adoption or parentage order, which may be critical for LGBTQ+ custody disputes.

Not all trial litigators are good writers like our lawyer is, so do not hesitate to contact us for honest and experienced legal advocacy. A well-written case, especially for emergency child custody orders that are reviewed in writing by a judge, could make a crucial difference in your outcome.

Get A Custody Lawyer’s Help To Protect Your Custodial Rights

Schedule an initial consultation with our attorney at Daphne Edwards Divorce & Family Law, PC, to get started on your case. Please call our Raleigh law office at 919-891-8552 or send us an email today.