Volume I, Issue I

Welcome to the first edition of our newsletter!
At Krusch and Sellers P.A. we value our clients and want to pass along ideas and information we think is important and useful along to you!

You will be receiving our newsletter quarterly. In each edition you will find legal information from one of our attorneys as well as book, entertainment, travel and recipe recommendations.

We hope you enjoy our newsletter and if you have any suggestions, ideas or comments, please feel free to e-mail them to
Thom.Hall@Kruschlaw.com

Have a safe and wonderful spring!-
Krusch and Sellers

Welcome the Newest Member of our Firm!

Krusch and Sellers, P.A. is proud to announce the addition of Attorney Nicholas Cushing to our firm. Nick is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law in Hempstead, NY, where he graduated in the top 9% of his class! His undergraduate degree is in Mass Communications from Minnesota State University. Nick is a member of the North Carolina Bar and Mecklenburg County Bar. We look forward to working with him and are certain he will be an asset to our team.

CHILD SUPPORT IN NORTH CAROLINA

In North Carolina, as in all states, the amount of child support to be paid is calculated using Child Support Guidelines. However, each state has its own Guidelines, and each state determines how child support is to be calculated. In North Carolina, we have the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines (I refer to these in this article as "the Guidelines"). These Guidelines are presumptive, meaning that the Guidelines presumably apply to every situation unless a court determines that it should "deviate" from the Guidelines. Our experience is that, in most cases, a "deviation" from the Guidelines is not granted by the court. As a result, knowing what the Guidelines provide for is very important.

The Guidelines take into consideration three basis situations: Worksheet A calculates support when the children reside with one parent more than 242 overnights per year (meaning that the other parent has the children for less than 123 overnights per year); Worksheet B applies when one parent has the children living overnight with him or her less than 242 overnights and the other has 123 overnights or more per year; and, Worksheet C applies when the children are "split", that is, there are more than one child and at least one child resides primarily with each parent.

Each Worksheet essentially is a formula. When you input appropriate numbers in the formula, the bottom line is the presumptive child support calculation. Generally, there are four numbers that go in the formula: 1. the gross income of the father; 2. the gross income of the mother; 3. the amount of work-related child care expenses incurred for the child or children; and, 4. the cost for providing health insurance for the child or children. With certain exceptions (e.g. having children from prior relationships and/or other child support obligations), once you have the numbers to put in the formula, and once you use the correct Worksheet, child support can be appropriately calculated. North Carolina Child Support Enforcement has an online calculator that you can use to calculate support. To find that calculator, go to http://www.ncchildsupport.com/ and go to the Parents section.

Once child support is determined, it may later be modified based on a substantial change in circumstances. Contact us for an appointment if you are interested in either initially setting or modifying child support or if you have questions about whether your particular situation may result in a "deviation" from the Guidelines. We deal with these issues every day.

Knowledge is Power

By Claire Cox Krusch

On April 9, 1626 the English Philosopher Francis Bacon was born. Who is Francis Bacon? What quote did he coin that became very famous and is used in colleges and schools throughout the world, and even talk show host Oprah Winfrey has said it many times on her show?

Mr. Francis Bacon is famous for saying KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

At Krusch & Sellers, P.A., we believe knowledge is powerful. We give clients tools to assist them while they are going through a very difficult time in their life. One tool that we feel is very powerful, is reading. On our website, we have suggested reading materials that are helpful to our clients. You can order directly on our website which is linked to Amazon.com.

In our offices, we also a mini-bookstore where you can purchase books that have been recommended to us by local psychologists. We feel that this is helpful to you, our valued client. It saves you a trip to the bookstore too.

The book selected for our premier newsletter is Divorce Poison by Dr. Richard A. Warshak. You can come by our office to purchase one during our regular office hours. The price for Divorce Poison is $13.95. Divorce Poison offers advice on how to:

• Recognize early warning signs of trouble in your children
• React if your children refuse to see you
• Respond to your child's rude and hateful behavior
• Avoid the seven most common errors made by rejected parents

This groundbreaking work gives parents powerful (there's that word again) strategies to preserve and rebuild loving relationships with their children.

"If you are divorced and you love your child, read this book!"
-Constance R. Ahrons, Ph.D., author of The Good Divorce

Michael Gurian who is the author of The Wonder of Girls says, "DivorcePoison is destined to become a classic. If you handle a situation ineffectively, you could lose your children's respect, their affection-even, in extreme cases, contact with them."

Weekend Fun!

By Jenny Pattana

As a child, I would go to Carowinds with my family every summer and we would make it a point to get there early before the park opened so we could beat the other visitors and get to the best rides first. I remember being there from the time the park opened to the time it closed (which meant a 6 to 8 hour adventure). Every time we would go, there was something new, whether it was a new ride or a new game. Now, the park has more rides, including rides for the whole family, live concerts and shows, a very impressive water park, and all sorts of foods for all palates.

For the 2007 season, Carowinds opened on March 24^th. Currently, it is open on Saturdays and Sundays with some Fridays. Check for dates. Beginning June 1^st to August 26^th, Carowinds will be open everyday beginning at 10:00a.m. with closings as late as 10:00p.m. on Saturdays. General admission (ages 3-61) to Carowinds is $39.95 with a single day parking cost of $10.00. Carowinds offers a Season Pass option to visitors who will be visiting the park more frequently. The Season Pass offers the visitor unlimited access to the park during business hours.

The thrill rides of Carowinds include the BORG Assimilator, Carolina Cyclone (one of my favorites), Thunder Road, Top Gun: Jet Coaster and many, many more. Carowinds features many family oriented rides including the Carolina Goldrusher (another one of my favorites), Carolina Skytower, the Nickelodeon^TM Flying Super Saturator, Rip Roarin' Rapids, Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion, SpongeBob SquarePants 3D, and Whitewater Rapids.

Carowinds offers Nickelodeon Central which is aimed at the younger and smaller ones of the family. Nickelodeon Central features rides such as Backyardigans^TM Swing-A-Long, Danny Phantom's^TM Phantom Flyers, Dora the Explorer's^TM Azul Adventure, LazyTown^TM Sporticopters, and a antique, hand crafted wooden carousel called the Nick-O-Round. Nickelodeon Central is bright, fun and won't disappoint the younger ones.

On those hot days, visit Boomerang Bay which covers 16 acres and included with the general admission price. However, it is only open May 26 to August 19. It features many water rides and a 25,000 square foot wave pool. Boomerang Bay also offers pools for toddlers and infants.

There are plenty of places to eat at Carowinds for all tastes, including Chick-Fil-A, Cinnabon, Country Kitchen, Happy Days Diner, Panda Express and many others. A tradition of mine is to get a funnel cake with chocolate and powdered sugar topping. You can't exactly visit a theme park and not get a funnel cake.

More information can be attained from http://www.carowinds.com/ or call their toll free number (800) 888-4386.

Lets Eat!!

By Thom Hall

Can you believe it is spring already? If you are like me, you are coming to the realization that you didn't fully carry out that New Year's resolution to eat better and now summer is just around the corner. So I am going to share a great and nutritious recipe with you. When the weather turns warm I like nothing better than a really great salad. If it is good for you as well, then bonus!! Nutritionist Ellie Krieger, who hosts her own show, Healthy Appetite, on Food Network on Saturdays at 1:00p.m., has a great recipe for a spinach salad. Best of all it has bacon as one of the ingredients and it is still healthy for you! Does it get any better? Enjoy and if you have any family recipes you would like to share in upcoming issues of our newsletter, please feel free to email me at thom.hall@kruschlaw.com.

10 ounces pre-washed baby spinach
2 slices bacon, finely chopped
3 ounces Canadian bacon, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 pound button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Place spinach into a large bowl. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until it is just crispy. Add Canadian bacon to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove meat from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain any remaining fat from the skillet. Add olive oil and onions to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, or until onions soften slightly. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes. Put onions and mushrooms on top of the spinach. Add apple cider and vinegar to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir to scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until cider is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Whisk in mustard, salt and pepper, to taste. Pour warm cider dressing over the mushrooms and spinach and toss until the vegetables are well coated. Sprinkle the bacon on top and serve.

NUTRIONAL INFORMATION
Calories: 410
Total Fat: 18g
Protein: 19g
Sodium: 1070mg
Carbohydrates: 46g
Fiber: 8g
Copyright, 2006, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

Getting Away

By Wanda Wentz

This space will be devoted to those places I've seen and, in some cases, places I long to see. Sometimes I will write about destinations that involve jet lag and changing currency. But mostly, I'll share experiences about places to visit right here in North Carolina.

North Carolina has two distinct spirits: The cities are very cosmopolitan and modern, but the small towns show us how the South used to be. Now, before development in the next decades causes those old Southern traces to disappear, is the time to visit the small towns of North Carolina.

Two hours from Charlotte, Henderson County has a lot to be proud of. The downtown area of its county seat, Hendersonville, was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in March of 1988 and offers restaurants, antique shops, galleries and specialty shops. While downtown you can also visit the Mineral and Lapidary Museum and City Hall that houses large statues of Andrew Jackson, James Polk and Andrew Johnson. A favorite of mine, the North Carolina Apple Festival is held here each year during Labor Day Weekend. In addition, you can visit the unique farmers market known as the Henderson County Curb Market. Vendors are required to be residents and all items sold must be locally grown or handmade.