There are many different types of parenting styles in North Carolina. Some parents are much stricter than others, and these individuals may use some form of physical punishment to guide their children toward the right path. But what happens if you and your spouse get divorced? Will your spouse attempt to use your past history of spanking against you? Is it even legal to spank a child in North Carolina, and what are the chances of you losing custody due to your actions?
Let's find out:. First, let's answer the most pressing question: Is spanking a child even legal in North Carolina? For the most part, the answer is yes. Corporal punishment is an accepted form of discipline in the Tar Heel State, and parents are given considerable freedom regarding how they choose to discipline their children.
Of course, there are limitations. A parent who becomes too excessive with their punishments can easily stray into the territory of child abuse. The line between discipline and abuse is not always clear, and courts essentially use their common sense while referring to a few basic guidelines:. The two key points to remember are that your punishment cannot cause permanent injury and cannot cause emotional damage to your child. While you may think your disciplinary methods are perfectly acceptable, your former spouse might not feel the same.
This can lead to significant disputes during custody battles, as your former spouse might desperately attempt to stop your child from being disciplined any further. The obvious course of action for these spouses is to stop you from spending meaningful amounts of time with your children after the divorce. Unfortunately, spouses tend to exaggerate specific marriage details or even fabricate incidents entirely. They may accuse you of beating your child in an abusive manner when you provided just a few spanks in reality.
This can lead to a "he said, she said" situation, and Child Protective Services may even launch an investigation to get to the bottom of the issue. You must hire a qualified family law attorney who can defend you against these accusations in an efficient manner. It is also worth mentioning that if your spouse is accusing you of abusing your child during the marriage, they have to contend with the burden of proof. The court will not automatically believe your spouse just because they are hurling baseless accusations at you.
