Johnson v. Johnson—New Pitfalls in Pension Valuations?
If any of your cases involve defined benefit plans, you are probably relying on Bishop v. Bishop, 440 S.E.2d 591 (1994)—the North Carolina Court of Appeals’ classic. Bishop has been the divorce practitioners’ staple for almost twenty years. Bishop‘s five step approach has never been officially overruled—or received any negative treatment for that matter. But do not let the Westlaw’s Shepard lull you into a false sense of security. You will want to read the last week’s Court of Appeal’s opinion in Johnson v. Johnson. Although the Johnson Court does not explicitly distinguish Bishop, and even appears to follow Bishop…