In Virginia, you are separated when either you or your husband makes the decision to end the marriage. It happens in a moment, at the time when, in your mind, you know that the marriage is over and that it is beyond repair. You don’t have to tell the other spouse, and, in Virginia at...
Divorce
If you’re facing a divorce or custody trial, you’re probably terrified and wondering what you can expect to happen. Your case has probably dragged on for some time, so you’re already feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Depending on your attorney, your judge, and your locality, you’ve probably already gone through a number of procedural steps. You...
A divorce is uncontested when all the outstanding issues in the divorce have been resolved. The issues are resolved when the parties negotiate and sign a separation agreement. Does that sound simple? Well, that’s because, in most cases, it really is! In an uncontested divorce, for the most part, you stay out of court. There...
Well, suddenly, a divorce-related phrase I’ve never heard before is trending all over the internet. Suddenly, ever since Gwenyth Paltrow announced her separation from hubby Chris Martin, it’s all anybody can talk about. What does “conscious uncoupling” mean? Well, Gwenyth didn’t exactly provide a dictionary definition, but I can guess what she’s referring to is...
There are two basic ways to get divorced: with an agreement, or in court. These days, most people get divorced with a separation agreement, because it’s cheaper, easier, and much less adversarial. What’s a separation agreement? A separation agreement is a legal contract that divides all the assets, liabilities, and responsibilities in a marriage between...
Things aren’t working and you can’t take it anymore. You know you need to make a change. The question is, though… Where do you start? You can start in a lot of different places, so I’m going to give you a brief overview of your options. I hope you’ll use it as a guide to...
Access to legal representation is becoming an increasingly important problem, especially for poorer women and minority groups. A recent article published on NPR’s website asserts, unsurprisingly, that people with representation do better. And it also stands to reason that, if women and minorities have a disproportionately more difficult time obtaining legal representation, they are also...
The best thing you can do, early on in your divorce, is begin to plan for the kind of divorce you think you want to have. A lot of the choices you make in the beginning set you up for the way things are going to move forward later, and you’ll want to do some...