We’ve been in the news before for doing what we do – representing women exclusively in divorce and custody cases in Virginia – but it’s always exciting to have an opportunity to share with a broader audience. We’ve worked hard over the last nearly thirty years to make sure that Virginia women have the divorce information they need to make informed decisions about their cases, through our divorce and custody seminars, free books, blogs, articles, and other free reports, and, of course, our premium legal representation. Not to toot our own horns or anything (or, at least, not to toot them too much), but we’re the only law firm in Virginia and, as far as I know as of the time of this writing, the largest in the country representing women only in domestic relations cases.
It’s important work. Traditionally, women haven’t been as well represented in cases, particularly family law cases, because they haven’t been able to afford the same type of representations that their husbands could. Though things have changed in recent years, and we’ve seen more and more higher wage earning women (even many women who are the breadwinners in their families!), we see some bias. It’s our goal to protect women by offering them the most up to date, Virginia specific divorce, custody, and support-related information possible, because making good big decisions at the beginning of your case can save you tons of time, money, and frustration later on down the line. Good decision making is critical, and can be the difference between things working out well for you, and things taking a turn for the worse.
When Sheera Herrell (our managing partner, CEO, and all around family law attorney extraordinaire) was asked to speak on Coast Live, the answer was an immediate yes. Though Sheera doesn’t exactly love TV appearances (she’s much, much more comfortable in the courtroom!), she immediately recognized the platform to share our message with a much broader audience.
You can watch Sheera’s television debut here.
There’s just so much to share about divorce and custody cases, and so much information that regular people just don’t know. That’s not a slight; I mean, who DOES know that much about a process that they don’t work in or around on a daily basis? When I bought my first house, there was a learning curve. For all of us, there’s new and uncharted territory when it comes to doing something that we haven’t done before, and, especially when that something is so scary and all encompassing as divorce, it’s definitely best to get as much information as possible ahead of time, so that you know what decisions you need to make and how to weigh the pros and cons on either side.
I think it’s hard to even begin to ask questions about a process without some background knowledge, so if you don’t know where to start, then you’re an even better candidate for the information we provide. Our books and other resources are free, and we deliberately keep the costs to attend our divorce and custody seminars very low so that they are accessible to any woman who needs the information to prepare for her upcoming family law case.
The more you know, the more you’ll want to know. If we could recommend a specific path for you, we’d say request the book first, attend the seminar second, and come in for a consultation third. That way, you’ll have taken the first two steps to gather information, and by the time you sit down one on one with an attorney to discuss your unique situation, you’ll have as much information as possible, which will help you use the time productively and ask the questions you really need to ask.
Our books and seminars give the foundation that you’ll need, the basics of how divorce and custody cases work. But then, by the time you talk to us, you’ll be prepared to ask the questions that relate to you – your kids, your finances, your life. It’s the best way, in our humble opinions, after seeing thousands of women go through the processes.
It’s not terrible. But it is nuanced, and there are lots of little pitfalls where you can make costly mistakes. To the extent possible, we’d like to help you avoid those mistakes, so that you preserve as much of your finances as possible. Not only that, but there are other goals – to take care of your kids, to keep your blood pressure low, and to establish a cordial relationship with your soon to be ex. (Nobody really LIKES to be nasty and hate each other.)
If you haven’t yet, request a copy of our book. We actually have four books: one on divorce, military divorce, child custody, and a fourth on hiring an attorney (but which also covers DIY divorce and your other non-attorney options). There’s so much information out there for you, and it’s free – it’s also up to date, Virginia specific, and prepared by one (or more) of our divorce and custody attorneys.
Our seminars are also pretty awesome. If you’re not really a book person, you’ve already read and re-read the book over and over, or you just like to hear things to learn them, a seminar is a good second step for you. Each seminar is taught by one of our attorneys, so you can ask your questions live and in person. (We do ask that you keep your questions general, and not specific to your case, though, because it’s not a confidential forum; it can’t be, since there are other people present.) We’ve got one for divorce and one for custody, and they’re really helpful and chock full of information.
Then, of course, a consultation would be a natural third step, if your situation hasn’t resolved itself and you’re still headed towards a potential divorce or custody case. It’s a good time to at least gather information; just meeting with an attorney, of course, doesn’t open Pandora’s Box or mean that you have to go down a particular path. It can help you get a more reasonable idea of what to expect, though, and that’s always a good thing.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out Sheera’s interview, here’s the link again.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment with one of our divorce and custody attorneys, give our office a call at 757-425-5200.