Your Appeals & Post-Judgment Attorney

Krispen Culbertson has 20+ years briefing and arguing family law appeals and post-judgment motions for Greensboro families—Notice of Appeal, Rule 59 and Rule 60 relief, stays/supersedeas, record on appeal, and transcript strategy—regularly appearing before the North Carolina Court of Appeals after trial work in Guilford County District Court.

Memberships: North Carolina State Bar; local family law section. Courts: Greensboro & High Point District Court; North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Friendly heads-up: this page is general info for North Carolina family cases. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Fast answers

Helpful links: Greensboro Family Lawyer • Greensboro Child Custody Lawyer • Greensboro Child Support Lawyer • Greensboro Alimony Lawyer • Greensboro Property Division Lawyer • Greensboro Modification and Enforcement • Greensboro UIFSA and UCCJEA • Greensboro Divorce Lawyer

What you can appeal from Greensboro family court

You can appeal most final family law orders: custody, child support, equitable distribution, alimony, and attorney’s fees. Civil contempt orders with sanctions can also be appealed. Interlocutory appeals are limited to narrow “substantial right” scenarios. We review the order to confirm whether it is final, truly temporary, or missing the findings needed to support review.

Appeal or post-judgment motion

Sometimes the fastest fix happens in the trial court. Other times, the only path is a direct appeal to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

• When to appeal: legal error on the face of the order, missing required findings, or an outcome that cannot be squared with the evidence even when the judge had discretion.
• Rule 59 motion: ask the court for a new hearing or to amend findings where the record shows error or key facts were overlooked.
• Rule 60 motion: clerical mistakes under 60(a); excusable neglect, fraud, or newly discovered evidence under 60(b).
• Clock control: some post-judgment motions can affect the appeal deadline. We calendar both the motion and the 30-day window so nothing is missed.

Deadlines and the first 30 days

• Confirm the date of entry and whether the clerk served the order.
• File and serve the Notice of Appeal within the window.
• Designate transcripts and exhibits.
• Line up the record on appeal items early to avoid scramble later.
• Consider a motion for stay or supersedeas if the order would cause immediate harm.

We give you a checklist on day one: who files what, where it goes, and when each step lands on the calendar.

Standards of review that shape your odds

• De novo: pure legal questions, such as jurisdiction or misapplied statutes.
• Abuse of discretion: many custody, support, and equitable distribution issues. The focus is whether the trial judge stayed within a range of reasonable choices.
• Findings of fact: the Court of Appeals looks for competent evidence supporting the findings. Missing or thin findings can lead to reversal or remand.

Knowing the standard tells us whether to target a legal issue, a findings problem, or both.

Building the record the right way

Appeals rise or fall on the record, not on new facts. We:

• Order transcripts and verify audibility for each hearing day.
• Gather exhibits, financial affidavits, guideline worksheets, and calendars that the judge actually saw.
• Fix indexing issues and propose a clean, paginated record on appeal.
• Frame issues on appeal that match preserved objections and the standard of review.

Stays, bonds, and supersedeas

Support and custody typically remain in effect while the appeal is pending. For relief:

• Ask the trial court to stay parts of the order that would cause immediate harm.
• Seek supersedeas in the appellate court when required.
• Use targeted terms for custody exchanges and travel so children keep a steady routine.

Post-judgment tools in the trial court

• Rule 59: new hearing or amended judgment for reasons like errors of law or newly considered evidence that was presented but not addressed.
• Rule 60: clerical fixes, excusable neglect, fraud, or new evidence that could not have been found with reasonable effort.
• Clerical corrections: tighten property descriptions, QDRO references, dates, and dollar figures so employers, schools, and agencies can follow the order.

Issue-specific notes for family appeals

Custody
Permanent versus temporary orders, best-interest findings, relocation terms, and whether the court addressed safety concerns and each parent’s role.

Child support
Worksheet choice (A, B, or C), income findings, credits for health insurance and childcare, and whether the order explains deviations.

Alimony
Findings on need and ability to pay, factor analysis, and any cohabitation or remarriage language that affects duration.

Equitable distribution
Classification of assets and debts, valuation dates, distributional factors, and whether the order supports any distributive award or QDRO language.

Attorney’s fees
Eligibility under the statute and the findings the court must make to support a fee award.

Enforcement while the appeal is pending

• Use wage withholding, arrears audits, and clear crediting rules for support.
• Seek show cause for willful violations with purge terms that fix the problem.
• Narrow relief requests to prevent irreparable harm without grinding everything to a halt.

See also: Greensboro Modification and Enforcement

Interstate and military points

Appeals that involve UIFSA or UCCJEA bring extra layers: out-of-state records, home-state checks, and continuing exclusive jurisdiction for support. Service members may seek timing relief under SCRA, and some hearings allow remote participation. For more on jurisdiction and registration, visit Greensboro UIFSA and UCCJEA and Greensboro Military Divorce.

Evidence checklist and consult prep

Bring these to your consult or upload them securely:

• The signed order plus any prior temporary orders
• All exhibits used at the hearing
• Financial affidavits and child support worksheets
• Parenting time calendars, messages about exchanges, travel logs
• Pay records, tax returns, and medical or school records referenced by the court
• A short timeline showing what happened before and after the order

We turn this into a strategy memo with the best path: direct appeal, Rule 59 or 60 motion, or a targeted modification.

FAQs

Why Greensboro families choose Culbertson & Associates

• 20+ years handling family law appeals and post-judgment work
• Weekly practice in Guilford County District Court with regular filings to the Court of Appeals
• Strategy memos that match deadlines, standards of review, and your goals
• Plain-English updates, tight records, and realistic timelines