Update 11.16.2021: 26th Judicial District Modified Court Operations in effect through January 1, 2022 through January 31, 2022.
Update 11.16.2021: 26th Judicial District Modified Court Operations in effect through December 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
Update 9.28.2021: 26th Judicial District Modified Court Operations in effect through October 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021.
Update 9.14.2021: 26th Judicial District Modified Court Operations in effect through October 1, 2021
Update 9.7.2021: Updated Response go Protect Public Health and Slow the Spread of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County Courthouse
Update 7.29.2021: Due to the recent sustained rise in COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg County, the increasing prevalence of the Delta variant of the Coronavirus in our community, and in consultation with the Director of Mecklenburg County< Public Health, this order requires all individuals who enter the Mecklenburg County Courthouse to wear a face covering inside the building. Other COVID resources.
Update 6.30.2021: Following the CDC and OSHA’s relaxed masking guidance for vaccinated people, our COVID-19 guidelines have also been updated. As always, we want to keep our staff and clients safe! Please keep in mind the pandemic is still ongoing. The highly infectious Delta variant is rapidly spreading in the United States, including in North Carolina. Due to the aforementioned changes to guidelines, we have updated our mask policy in the office: clients, vendors, or other members of the public that are fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear a mask indoors. We will continue to communicate if changes are needed based on updated information from NCDHHS, CDC, and OSHA.
Update 3.22.2021: Child Tax Credits and Stimulus Payments – What Do Divorced Parents Need to Know?.
Update 12.14.2020: In-person hearings and other court proceedings, including jury trials, are on hold for the next month due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley has issued an order extending Emergency Directives 2-5, 8-15, 18, and 20-22 in response to the public health threat posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. If you have questions about how you might be impacted by these changes contact your attorney ASAP. Read more about what to expect from the North Carolina Judicial Branch here.
Update 7.17.2020: On July 16, 2020, Chief Justice Beasley issued new emergency directives in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Chief Justices Beasley’s new directives include: (1) Face coverings are required in all common areas of all courthouses with limited exceptions; (2) Jury trials are postponed until at least September 30, 2020 and (3) Each senior resident superior court judge shall craft a plan for the resumption of jury trials in his or her judicial district. You can read that order here.
Update 5.26.2020: Mecklenburg County Courts have issued the following updates and temporary procedures for Family Court Cases during COVID-19. The details can be found here.
Update 5.6.2020: The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina has issued updates to their Emergency Directives in relation to COVID-19. Those updates and Directives can be found here.
Update 4.23.20: South Carolina’s Chief Justice has issued an Order with further guidelines for in-person and virtual court proceedings during COVID-19. The full details of that order can be found here.
Update 4.7.20: The South Carolina Stay at Home Order can be viewed . At this time, legal services are considered an essential service. In a continued effort to support our clients and community, Sodoma Law is offering Virtual Legal Services. If you have questions about how the Stay at Home Order may impact you, your family, or your case, please contact to your attorney.
Update 4.2.20: North Carolina Chief Justice Beasley issued another Order regarding court services which extended the previous limitations on court functions through the end of April 2020. The Order further states that the protocol is anticipated to be extended again to June 1, 2020 and advises that all impacted plan accordingly. The Order continues to limit in person appearances to critical emergency matters. However, the latest Order provides that certain matters may be heard virtually in the discretion of the Judge and by consent of all parties. On April 3, 2020, Chief Justice Beasley followed the Order with a letter to the North Carolina Bar summarizing the scope and purpose of the updates to the prior Orders.
Chief Justice Beasley’s 4/3/20 letter may be viewed here.
Ongoing News and Notices from the North Carolina Bar can be viewed here.
Update 3.26.2020:The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced March 21, 2020 that the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. During this period, the IRS will be waiving penalties and interest on taxes due during the extension. Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief. The North Carolina Department of Revenue has automatically extended the filing date until July 15 and will be waiving penalties, but will not waive interest during this period. Please note filing deadlines and waivers will vary by state. We are closely monitoring all tax updates and will keep you informed of any changes as they become available.
Update 3.24.2020:The Mecklenburg County Stay at Home Order can be viewed here. At this time, legal services are considered an essential service. In a continued effort to support our clients and community, Sodoma Law is offering Virtual Legal Services. If you have questions about how the Stay at Home Order may impact you, your family, or your case, please contact to your attorney.
Update 3.16.2020:In a continued effort to support our clients and community, Sodoma Law is offering Virtual Legal Services. We are equipped and able to provide a variety of legal counsel virtually to new and existing clients in both North Carolina and South Carolina. These services include but are not limited to: Divorce Consultations, Mediation, Parenting Coordinators, Estate Planning, Contract Drafting and Review, Divorce Concierge Services, and other Alternative Dispute Resolution methods. Our office is video capable, and our attorneys are available by email, phone, or video conferencing. We can help.We wanted to take a moment to connect with you as we are all faced with much uncertainty. The North Carolina Judicial Branch announced that our courts, with limited exception, will postpone cases for the next 30 days. Similarly, the South Carolina Judicial Branch has announced postponements for at least two weeks in non-emergency matters – individual jurisdictions have been charged with making decisions as they deem appropriate, and more uniform announcements are expected. This means that in both States, matters that are set for hearing during this time of delay will likely be removed and rescheduled by court administration, or by the individual parties and attorneys. It is our understanding that, at least for now, Courts in both States will continue to be staffed for accepting and filing documents to facilitate meeting deadlines and initiating actions. The situation is fluid and could change quickly. We will continue monitoring the situation and will keep all of our clients updated as we know more.
This does not impact all of our clients as not everyone has litigation pending in their cases. For those that may have matters set during the anticipated delay period, we will be working diligently to answer questions and determine best next steps and alternatives. Over the coming weeks as the situation unfolds, we want to assure clients in both States that we will continue to be available to you. All of our attorneys and staff have access to email and phone communications. We also have the ability for video conferences as may be needed. Although we will limit in person meetings, we will schedule them on an as needed basis as determined appropriate by your attorney and the firm.
Our advocacy will not waver despite these unprecedented times. We pride ourselves on being a unified team at Sodoma Law. Please contact us with any questions and know that we are ready to collectively meet the needs of our clients. PDF version
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