North Carolina Court of Appeals vacates two lower‑court orders

The North Carolina Court of Appeals vacated a district‑court order that had denied retroactive child support in a divorce case. The appeal involved plaintiff Devonda Snipes, who sought support for her daughter after the trial judge, Meredith Edwards, failed to make findings on the child’s reasonable needs. The appellate court remanded the case for proper findings on the child’s needs.

In a separate decision, the same appellate court vacated a Pasquotank County Superior Court order that had eliminated an employer and insurer’s workers‑compensation lien on a $450,000 third‑party settlement. The lien, held by Orano USA and Liberty Mutual Insurance, could not be dismissed because the settlement had not yet become final, and the lower court lacked jurisdiction to do so. The ruling remanded the case for further consideration of the lien.