Legal Research & Other Resources

The publications posted on this website were current when posted, but all materials should be checked for currency, accuracy under local law, and applicability before use.

Consumer Law

Interest Rate Reduction Under the Servicemember Civil Relief Act

Family Law

A Practical Guide to UIFSA, by Joseph W. Booth

Administration of Justice—International Service of Process Under the Hague Convention 

Administration of Justice—Service of Process and the Military

Child Support Calculator—The calculation of child support is governed by the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines established by the Conference of Chief District Court Judges.

The child support worksheets were developed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). To view the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines, effective October 1, 2006, visit the AOC website at www.nccourts.org. A child support calculator and the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines are available on the North Carolina Child Support Enforcement website.

As a general rule, child support will be set by the court using the guideline amount unless the court determines that a variance is needed because the guideline amount produces too much or inadequate child support or is otherwise unreasonable.

Domestic Violence - The Camouflage Connection

Family Forum- A Roadmap for the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act

Family Law Bulletin #13—North Carolina’s Revised Child Support Guidelines (2002), by John L. Saxon, July 2002.

Family Law Bulletin #18—Who’s Your Daddy? Comparing North Carolina’s Paternity Law and the Uniform Parentage Act, by John L. Saxon, March 2004.

Family Law Bulletin #19—“Freezing and Seizing” Joint Bank Accounts to Collect Past-Due Child Support: Due Process and Legal Rights of Nonliable Depositors, by John L. Saxon, August 2004.

Family Law Bulletin #21—Third Party Custody and Visitation Actions: The Present State of the Law in North Carolina, by Cheryl Howell, November 2006.

Family Law Bulletin #22—Who Are the Parties in IV-D Child Support Proceedings? And What Difference Does It Make? by John L. Saxon, January 2007.

Family Law Bulletin #23—Imputing Income to Parents in Child Support Proceedings, by John L. Saxon, July 2008.

Family Law Bulletin #24—2011 Revisions to the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines, by Cheryl Daniels Howell, December 2010.

Getting Government Records into Evidence

International Establishment and Enforcement of Family Support

New Year, New Laws: SCRA Changes

North Carolina Adopts the Uniform Deployed Parent Custody and Visitation Act

The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, by Gerald K. Robbins

UDPCVA and the Constitutional Rights of Parents

Rights of Military Personnel

A Judge's Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

A Trial Lawyer's Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

An Agency Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

"Are We There Yet?" - A Roadmap for Appointed Counsel Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

Clerks' and Workers' Guide to the SCRA & Military Support Enforcement

Military Pension Division: The New Frozen Benefit Rule

The Military Lending Act

The New Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

Property Manager’s Guide to the Servicemember Civil Relief Act

Student Loan Guidebook for Servicemembers and Their Advocates

Consumer Protection – Federal Resources

Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans. The CFPB has a dedicated Office of Servicemember Affairs to address consumer financial challenges affecting military members, veterans, and their families. Visit their website. 

For general inquiries submitted electronically, contact Service member Affairs at military@cfpb.gov. Answers to frequently asked consumer questions can be found here. 

If you have issues with your credit card, mortgage, credit reporting, debt collection, bank account or service, money transfer, payday loan, private student loan, or other consumer loan you may submit a complaint here or call toll-free at (855) 411-CFPB (2372); TTY/TDD 855-729-CFPB (2372). The CFPB can assist over the phone in more than 180 languages. Complaints can also be faxed in to (855) 237-2392 or mailed to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, PO Box 4503, Iowa City, IA 52244. 

Judicial Resources

A Judge's Guide to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

Crossing the Military Minefield: A Judge's Guide to Military Divorce

Just for Judges - The Death of Indemnification

Just for Judges - Military Pension Division: The New Frozen Benefit Rule

Legal Research Resources

Disclosure of Information by the Government

DIG Directory

Every Office of the Staff Judge Advocate should have:

North Carolina Family Law (4 volumes) by Robert E. Lee, published by the Michie Company, Charlottesville, Virgina (invaluable for most North Carolina domestic relations questions)

North Carolina Criminal Law and Motor Vehicle Handbook (1998 Edition), published by Gould Publications of Florida, Inc., 1333 North U.S. Highway 17-92, Longwood Florida 32750-3724

North Carolina Legal Directory - Official Directory of the North Carolina State Bar, published by Legal Directories Publishing Company, Inc., 9111 Garland Road, P.O. Box 189000, Dallas, Texas 75218-9000 (almost every N.C. attorney listed with address and telephone number; lists board certified specialists;  very helpful book for finding your way around N.C. legal community)

Nice to have or at least know about:

North Carolina Crimes: A Guidebook on the Elements of Crime (4th Ed), 1996, NC Institute of Govt, edited and revised by Thomas H. Thornburg

Post-Separation Events in North Carolina Equitable Distribution, Special Series No. 11, 1993, NC IOG, Cheryl Daniels Howell

Principles of Valuation in North Carolina Equitable Distribution Actions, Special Series No. 10, revised 1993, NC IOG, Clarence E. Horton, Jr.

North Carolina Trial Practice Forms by William L. Thorp, published by The Harrison Company, 3110 Crossing Park, P.O. Box 7500, Norcross, Georgia 30091-7500

North Carolina Civil Procedure (2 volumes) by G. Gray Wilson, published by the Michie Company, Charlottesville, Virginia

OR

North Carolina Civil Practice and Procedure by W. Brian Howell, published by The Harrison Company, 3110 Crossing Park, P.O. Box 7500, Norcross, Georgia 30091-7500

Brandis & Broun on North Carolina Evidence, 4th Edition, by Kennth S. Broun,  published by The Michie Company, P.O. Box 7587, Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7587

Strong=s North Carolina Index 4th (30 volumes plus Index) by the Editorial Staff of the Publisher, published by The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, Aqueduct Building, Rochester, New York 14694 (can be helpful as a quick reference into N.C. law)

Annotated Rules of North Carolina (1 volume) published annually by The Michie Company, P.O. Box 7587, Charlottesville, VA 22906-7587 (contains such items as Rules of Appellate Procedure, Code of Judicial Conduct, Rules of the State Bar, Rules of Professional Conduct)

North Carolina Digest 2d (45 volumes plus Index) published by West Publishing Company, St. Paul, Minn. (covers state decisions and federal decisions pertaining to N.C.)

North Carolina Criminal Trial Practice, Third Edition, by Ronald M. Price, published by The Harrision Company, 3110 Crossing Park, P.O. Box 7500, Norcross, Georgia 

North Carolina Pattern Instructions for Civil Cases/ for Criminal Cases published by North Carolina Conference of Superior Court Judges (can be helpful in determining elements of a cause of action or criminal offense)

State of North Carolina Session Laws and Resolutions issued by the Secretary of State (contains the latest Acts of the N.C. General Assembly)

North Carolina Administrative Code published by Barclays Law Publishers, 50 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111  (contains rules and regulations of N.C. state agencies, boards and commissions)

North Carolina Reports (347 volumes) and North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports (126 volumes) published by North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, justice building, 2 East Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27602

Shepard=s North Carolina Citations (4 volumes) published by Shepard=s/McGraw-Hill,Inc., Colorado Springs, CO 80921-3630

SELECTED WEB SITES for LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS

This URL site list is intended to be useful to DoD and Coast Guard legal assistance practitioners.  The presence of any site on this list is not an endorsement by the Office of the Judge Advocate General, the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or any other agency of the United States Government.

What, exactly, is the Internet? Basically it is a global network exchanging digitized data in such a way that any computer, anywhere, that is equipped with a device called a "modem " can make a noise like a duck choking on a kazoo. This is called "logging on," and once you are "logged on," you can move the "pointer" of your "mouse" to a "hyperlink" and, simply by "clicking" on it, change your "pointer" to an "hourglass." Then you can go to "lunch," and when you come back, there, on your computer screen, as if by magic, will be at least 14 advertisements related to Beanie Babies (which currently are the foundation of the entire world economy)."

 Dave Barry, Washington Post, 22 August 1999.

We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.

Professor Edward O. Wilson, Consilience, 1998