Greer v. Greer

"When parents separate and later are divorced, •‘the children of the marriage become the wards of the court and their welfare is the determining factor in custody proceedings.’ ” In Re Custody of Ross, 1 N.C. App. 393, 161 S.E. 2d 623. The guiding principle to be used by the court in a custody hearing is the welfare of the children involved. “While this guiding principle is clear, decision in particular cases is often difficult and necessarily a wide discretion is vested in the trial judge. He has the opportunity to see the parties in person and to hear the witnesses, and his decision ought…