Can a unmarried father take the child from the mother?

I strongly encourage you to immediately seek legal counsel in your local area.  There are a number of complex laws at play in a scenario like this, and it is important to understand not only North Carolina law, but the local rules within your particular jurisdiction.  View our blog for a brief discussion on denying visitation when involved in a child custody dispute in North Carolina.  Typically, we would file for both permanent child custody and temporary custody in a situation like this.  A court order would help draw lines and clarify the visitation schedules of each parent.  Once an order is in place, a non-abiding party can be held in contempt for not following the order.  Hope this helps.