Monthly Archive: December 2020

Custody of Toddlers

Toddlers – like most children, really – are creatures of habit. Or, at least, they operate best when their routines are protected. As a parent, even under the best circumstances, the routine can be difficult. When you’re coparenting, maintaining a consistent routine is even more challenging, if not impossible, depending on your other coparent. Even...

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Nursing and Virginia Child Custody

I’ve seen firsthand what a special bond nursing creates between a mother and a baby. As a currently nursing mother, it sometimes seems that my daughter thinks that literally no one else is acceptable at any time of day, regardless of whether she’s nursing. I’m a nursing mom AND I represent women only in family...

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  Divorce changes things. Though many women are quick to point out to me that the equitable distribution factors cite the standard of living established during the marriage, there’s often no way to maintain that standard post-divorce. Most people live up to their means, and there’s just not room in the average family’s budget to...

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What is a retainer in Virginia divorce?

We get a lot of questions about the cost of divorce, pro bono work, attorney’s fees (like, can I make him pay mine?) and so much more. We find that there’s a lot of confusion about how attorney’s charge for their work and what it actually costs. That’s probably for a lot of reasons. I...

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Saving Money in Virginia Divorce

No matter what your personal financial situation, the cost of a divorce is intimidating. Not so much because the actual cost is so great (though it certainly can be), but because it’s unknown. It’s not like buying a pair of shoes, where you can see that if you buy them at Amazon you’ll pay some...

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The Virginia Court System

In the election last month, one of my best friends was elected as prosecutor in her county. (She’s actually the first woman to have been elected in her county, ever – but, for my purposes today, a little beside the point.) It got me doing a little research into the local government and court structure...

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Same Home Separation

The questions whether and how long you’ll need to be separated to get a divorce in Virginia are well settled, easy, and very, very clear. In case you’re new to the game, in Virginia you have to be separated for a full year whether you’re using fault or no fault grounds (with the exception of...

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How quickly can I get divorced?

You might be surprised to hear that I have scads of clients who, when I email, don’t respond for a week or more. I have clients who retain and, in a flurry of activity, work with me to prepare a first draft of a separation agreement, which goes untouched (on their part, mind you) for...

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