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Recent Blog Posts for North Carolina

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North Carolina Ends Tint Checks at State Inspections, but There’s Still a New Rule You Must Know

December 19, 2025 | Christan C. Routten | North Carolina

Starting December 1, 2025, North Carolina drivers with tinted windows saw one major change to vehicle inspection requirement…

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Will a Government Shutdown Affect Veterans Benefits or Military Retirement Pay?

September 30, 2025 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina

Here’s What You Need to Know: As we approach the possibility of a federal government shutdown in 2025, many veterans, milita…

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Could the Supreme Court Overturn the Right to Same-Sex Marriage?

September 29, 2025 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina

A Clear Look at the Law and What It Would Mean In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Obergefell v. Hodges, holding that th…

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Nonprofits Are the Backbone of Senior Care — But They Need Support

September 2, 2025 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

Elder Law Attorney at Parks Zeigler, PLLC and Board President of Primeplus Senior Centers Originally published in The Virgin…

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Parks Zeigler Launches New Practice Area Serving Families with Special Needs Children

June 3, 2025 | Aaron Pomeranz | North Carolina, Virginia

Parks Zeigler, PLLC, a well-established law firm serving Virginia and North Carolina, has recently expanded its legal servic…

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Won judgment; LLC closed. How can I collect my money?

February 10, 2025 | Brandon H. Zeigler | North Carolina, Virginia

Question – I won a judgement over a limited liability business and she shut down. How do I proceed from there and will I eve…

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Keeping Children Safe In and Around Vehicles

February 9, 2025 | Christan C. Routten | North Carolina, Virginia

Are you aware of the hidden dangers for children around automobiles? There are plenty of things that seem harmless enough un…

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Will I Be Responsible For My Parents’ Debt After They Die?

February 5, 2025 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

Question – “I am an only child with two parents who don’t have a lot of money and have a fair amount of debt. They don’t hav…

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Should Apple be Blamed for Distracted Driving Accident?

October 27, 2024 | Christan C. Routten | North Carolina, Virginia

We recently published a blog that discussed the various distractions that can turn drivers’ attention from the road, putting…

Driver in striped shirt stopped by police officer, exchanging documents through car window.

Drinking & Driving Deaths Increase in the Summer

July 21, 2024 | Jason A. Barlow | North Carolina, Virginia

Summer is in full swing and many of us will be out at the local hot spots, having barbecues with friends, and drinking alcoh…

What is Legal Guardianship

What is Legal Guardianship?

August 18, 2023 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

Guardianship is a legal arrangement in which an adult is appointed to manage the affairs of another adult because they are i…

Grandparents and children

What Rights do Grandparents Have in North Carolina?

August 15, 2023 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina

In the state of North Carolina, there are no laws that are legally defined regarding grandparent visitation rights. Neverthe…

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6 Surprising Difficulties You May Face as an Executor of a Will

November 17, 2022 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

The legal process of probate can be very lengthy and time-consuming for an executor of a will, and there are likely mo…

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11 Ways to Protect Yourself & Business from Cyberattacks

October 5, 2022 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

11 Actions You Can Take During Cybersecurity Awareness Month to Protect Yourself and Your Business from Cyberattacks Cyberse…

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$8 Million Dollar Settlement Reached with Wawa after 2019 Data Breach

August 11, 2022 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

In late July, it was announced that an $8 million settlement was reached with Wawa, Inc. as a result of a 2019 data breach t…

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Why Everyone Needs an Estate Plan and Why It Probably Should Involve a Trust

August 10, 2022 | Andrew T. Shilling | North Carolina

We all know that you can’t take it with you, but too many people have not taken the time to properly consider an appropriate…

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The Largest Bank in Virginia, Capital One, Fined $80 Million – Why You Should Care

August 24, 2020 | Andrew T. Shilling | North Carolina

Capital One Data Security Breach Why the Largest Bank in Virginia Was Just Fined $80 Million and Why You Should Care In Marc…

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COVIDWISE – The New COVID-19 App in Virginia

August 6, 2020 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

COVIDWISE – The New COVID-19 App Launching in Virginia; What is It and is It Safe? On August 5, 2020, Virginia rolled out th…

Legal Separation Vs. Divorce: Know the Key Differences

December 31, 2019 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Legal Separation & Divorce Are Not the Same Thing, and Knowing the Difference is Important if You’re Planning to Divorce…

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Viginia attorney explains Veterans Small Business Act benefits

November 15, 2019 | Brandon H. Zeigler | North Carolina, Virginia

Our Virginia Small Business Attorney Discusses The Veterans Small Business Act That Aims To Assist Veteran Entrepreneurs Vet…

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To Maintain Your Cybersecurity, Don’t Neglect Your Software Updates.

October 21, 2019 | Andrew T. Shilling | North Carolina

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we’re focusing on ways to keep your digital lives secure. Our first topic focus…

Lateral Phishing – Malevolent Emails From Trusted Accounts

September 17, 2019 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

There has been a lot of attention on the dangers and frequency of phishing attacks and the threat they pose for small busine…

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Are You Considering Your Digital Assets in the Estate Planning Process?

September 9, 2019 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

More and more of our lives are being stored in digital spaces, and while digital natives may be relatively comfortable wit…

Cybersecurity Breach

Tips On How To Spot & Avoid Fake Websites And Protect Your Cybersecurity

September 2, 2019 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina

Fake Websites One way that hackers access sensitive information is through the creation of fake websites. Creating websites…

small business lawyers

Which Type Of Business Loan Is Best For Your Small Business?

August 22, 2019 | Brandon H. Zeigler | North Carolina

Business Loans and Your Small Business Needs Starting and maintaining a small business requires access to capital, and being…

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Is Sharing On Social Media Dangerous? Not Necessarily, But Always Think Twice Before Posting.

August 16, 2019 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

The attention we give to the security of our online lives mainly focuses on protecting “sensitive information.” We pay atten…

small business lawyers

LLC Vs Sole Proprietorship – Which One is Best for Your Virginia Small Business?

July 29, 2019 | Brandon H. Zeigler | North Carolina, Virginia

When it comes to starting a small business, the two structures most frequently chosen are a Limited Liability Company, commo…

Five Common Estate Planning Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

July 22, 2019 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

The Importance of an Estate Plan Ensuring that your estate is in order and that the transfer of assets goes accordi…

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How Often Should I Update My Passwords?

July 8, 2019 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Changing Your Passwords Too Often May Put You At Greater Risk When trying to understand how to best create strong passwords…

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Updating Your Will Is As Important As Writing One, Here’s Why

June 21, 2019 | Jennifer Rossettini | North Carolina, Virginia

Ensure Your Will Is Up To Date Everyone should have a Will, but it is equally important to adjust your Will to keep…

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Most Of Us Don’t Read Those Long-Form User Agreements. What Are We Agreeing To When We Accept?

June 17, 2019 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

The Importance of Reading Terms & Conditions Do you read the long-form “Terms and Conditions” that many web-based servic…

What Are Your Options If Your Spouse Is Unwilling To Grant A Divorce?

April 16, 2019 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Divorce is an extremely difficult and emotionally trying process with two spouses who both agree on the separation, but it b…

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Be Aware Of These 3 Social Media Pitfalls

March 27, 2019 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Social Media Pitfalls When we’ve discussed the potential legal pitfalls of social media, we have emphasized the practice of…

small business lawyers

Be Sure To Bring These Documents When Applying For A Small Business Loan

December 14, 2018 | Brandon H. Zeigler | North Carolina, Virginia

Small Business Loans When starting a small business, access to capital is necessary to get things off the ground. While ther…

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Four Ways To Avoid Smartphone Wars In A Joint Legal Custody Battle

December 4, 2018 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Our Lives On Smartphones Smartphones play an important role in our lives, and for families, they offer a lot of adv…

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Vishing And The Alarming Statistics Of Mobile Scam Calls

October 18, 2018 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Scams Are Everywhere It seems like two weeks can’t pass without hearing about new techniques scammers are using to try to ta…

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What Is Synthetic Identity Theft?

September 12, 2018 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Identity Theft Is Evolving Identity thieves continue to find new ways to commit fraud and their methods are becoming more di…

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The Growing Issue Of Student Loan Debt Can Weigh Heavily On New Marriages

September 5, 2018 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Marriage and Money While it isn’t the most romantic discussion, debt is an important topic that needs to be addressed in a m…

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Small Business Owners, Do You Know About Business Identity Theft?

June 27, 2018 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

What Is Business Identity Theft? The stories on business identity theft are often focused on cybersecurity vulnerability e.g…

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What Is Typosquatting? Hackers Find A Way To Capitalize On Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making.

May 3, 2018 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Typos Can Be a Big Mistake During the course of our day, it is not surprising that we might make typos when doing work onlin…

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What Is “Porting?” A New Way For Thieves To Commit Identity Theft And Circumvent Two-Factor Authentication.

March 14, 2018 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

What Is Porting? Porting allows you to transfer your current mobile number over to a new carrier. It’s helpful because it fr…

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Tech Support Scams Are A Legitimate Threat To Your Cybersecurity

January 31, 2018 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Tech Support Scams & Cybersecurity Recently, a member of our marketing team was dealing with Microsoft customer support…

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What Can You Do To Protect Against Malicious Websites & Phishing Emails?

October 30, 2017 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

To wrap up our month-long Kellam’s Tech Tips Cybersecurity Awareness blog series, I want to talk about two things: …

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Are Your Online Accounts Protected By Two-Factor Authentication?

October 18, 2017 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

The first installment of Kellam’s Tech Tips blog series focused on cybersecurity awareness and discussed the importance of s…

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Updating Your Software Is An Essential Part Of Cybersecurity Protection.

October 12, 2017 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

In the second installment of my month-long Kellam’s Tech Tips series for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I am addressing the…

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Tips On How To Improve The Cyber-Security Of Your Business

May 5, 2017 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Small Business Cybersecurity Cybersecurity has a become a major concern in recent years and 2017 shows no signs of letting u…

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What Are The Risks With Mobile Banking Apps?

December 26, 2016 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Mobile Banking Apps Banks are constantly striving to find new ways to make our banking experiences more convenient; for exam…

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Why Children Are Ideal Targets For Identity Theft

October 27, 2016 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Children are ideal targets for identity thieves for two main reasons. First, a child does not have a credit history. When an…

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Your Cell Phone Is Not The Only Distraction From Driving

October 1, 2016 | Christan C. Routten | North Carolina, Virginia

Distracted Driving When we think of distracted driving, phone conversations and texting are what typically come to mind; how…

“Big Bang Theory” Star Mayim Bialik Offers Valuable Advice On Co-Parenting After Divorce

September 16, 2016 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Recently, Mayim Bialik, the actor who plays Amy Farafowler on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, posted a rather candid video blog a…

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Navy Veteran Steals The Information Of His Subordinate to Commit Fraud

September 15, 2016 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Two months ago in Virginia, a Navy sailor and bronze star recipient entered a plea agreement in response to charges of bank…

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The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

September 15, 2016 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

In July, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against a credit union after it repossessed a car purchased by a Privat…

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What Is A Prenuptial Agreement, And Is It The Right Choice For Your Marriage?

June 16, 2016 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Are “Prenups” Bad? The word “prenup” can incite an array of impassioned positions that reflect personal values associated wi…

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Federal Government Data Breaches And The Rise Of Identity Theft

June 8, 2015 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

4 Million Federal Workers Are Now At Risk For Identity Theft and Fraud In case you’ve missed the latest news in data brea…

small business lawyers

Starting a new business? Current business need a checkup? Here are some legal pitfalls you want to look for.

May 1, 2015 | Brandon H. Zeigler | North Carolina, Virginia

6 Things To Think About Before Starting Your Business Incomplete/Inaccurate Filing. You can surf the interne…

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Green Dot Card Scam

February 18, 2015 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s department wants you to know that their office will never contact you by phone to collect money…

Anthem Hacked – 80 Million at Risk of Fraud

February 6, 2015 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

News just broke about yet another major data breach – Anthem, our nation’s second-largest insurance provider, has been hacke…

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Identity Theft Within the Medical Industry

January 2, 2015 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

WVEC.com posted an article from USA Today about the rise of identity theft within the medical industry. With everything movi…

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Key Points On Parenting To Remember When You Go Through Divorce Or Custody Proceedings

October 21, 2014 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Keep your divorce between you and your estranged spouse. Your children need to understand you are not divorcing them and are…

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Learn Who is Really Calling You with Collection Calls

October 8, 2014 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

IRS Tax Audit Scam The Virginian-Pilot’s Roger Chesley recently detailed an unusual phone message he received. Someone had c…

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Before Selling That Computer Or Cell Phone……

August 22, 2014 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

With rampant identity theft taking place, it is prudent to take steps to secure your personal information when disposing of…

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Posting Personal Pics That Can Become Memes.

July 28, 2014 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

For some inexplicable reason, there are hundreds of memes of cats with funny sayings and an entire website devoted to them (…

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5 Tips To Avoid Stress Due To Divorce, Custody And The Holidays

November 13, 2013 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

The Holiday season is here and it can be a tough time for divorced couples with children. We wanted to share some helpful t…

Divorce and Credit Scores

October 28, 2013 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Everyone knows divorce can be a messy, complicated, and overwhelming process, even with amicable splits. There are so many t…

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7 Halloween Safety Tips

October 18, 2013 | Kellam T. Parks | North Carolina, Virginia

Trick or treating at night, or even during the day, is not as safe as it might have been once. There are many more cars on t…

Emotional soldier saying farewell to his daughter

Military Deployment and Child Custody

July 22, 2013 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Military deployment and/or relocation causes unique concerns over custody/visitation. Family care plans are required by the…

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Car Accidents, Even Slight, Can Cause Physical Trauma; Our Bodies Are Not Built Like Cars.

July 9, 2013 | Christan C. Routten | North Carolina, Virginia

People often think severe, lasting, and/or permanent bodily injury only occurs in high-speed or dramatic accidents. This is…

Electronic Footprints In Domestic Cases

May 1, 2013 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Times have changed and depending on which side of a domestic issue you are on, it could be for the better or worse. In the…

Emotional soldier saying farewell to his daughter

Five Myths About Military Divorces

April 29, 2013 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

Military Spouses will not receive custody False. While deployment creates unique child care issues, it does not, in itself…

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Divorce Rates Rising Among Veterans

February 20, 2013 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

The recent wars are having a negative impact on military marriages, as the rate of divorce is the highest it has been since…

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Practice of Divorce Has Evolved and So Have the Statistics

November 12, 2012 | Emily E. McLaughlin | North Carolina, Virginia

While the overall divorce rates have been decreasing, the rate among baby boomers has increased. Bowling Green State Univers…