North Carolina law allows a defendant to file a motion when their attorney provided ineffective counsel. Ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC) claims are commonly asserted in post-conviction motions for appropriate relief.The defendant must file a G.S. 15A-1414 claim within 10 days of the entry of judgment when the defendant is alleging "any error" that happened during the trial. Such grievance may be written or oral, verified or unverified. To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must first show that his counsel's performance was deficient. A motion for appropriate relief is North Carolina's primary means of filing for post-conviction relief. If you are in need of North Carolina post-conviction representation, fill out our intake form. Sign up for your daily digest of North Carolina. Defense counsel provided ineffective assistance. Otherwise, you are looking at filing a motion for appropriate relief for ineffective assistance of counsel.