Couples whose marriages are on the rocks are often plagued with guilt about what a divorce would do to the children. They wonder, “Should I stay in this marriage for their sake?” I’ve heard it so many times. Moms in my office, agonizing over what the future will bring for their children, and wondering about...
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If you and your husband are separated, you need to prepare yourself for the fact that, eventually, he will cut you off from his money, if he hasn’t already. After you separate, the money you earn is no longer marital property—what his is his, and what’s yours is yours. Of course, that’s not a comfort...
You may have a custody and visitation issue without also having a divorce issue. Sometimes this happens when a couple, for whatever reason, decides to stay married but come up with a way to share responsibility for the children. Other times, it happens because mom and dad were never married but have children in common....
In Virginia, there is no rule that says you have to have an attorney represent you in a divorce case. You are absolutely free to negotiate a separation agreement for yourself or even file for divorce in your local circuit court. Is it better to have an attorney? In most cases, probably, especially if you...
Your divorce officially starts when you file a complaint. This is a formal document, filed with your local circuit court, that provides all the details of your marriage to the court. In your complaint, you’ll allege your date of marriage, date of separation, the names and dates of birth of your children, and also give...
If your husband has already filed for divorce, you probably feel like he has forced your hand, at least a little. In some ways, he has, because once you’ve been served with a complaint, you’ll have to respond to it within 21 days. If you’ve already negotiated a written and signed separation agreement, you won’t...
If you want to resume your maiden name, the quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to do it is by asking for it in your complaint. Your complaint is the document that you file with the court to initiate your divorce. In it, you provide the court with the details of the marriage, including the...
For many men, when it comes to creating a custody and visitation arrangement, shared custody is particularly attractive because it comes with a significant reduction in child support. Shared custody exists when the non-custodial parent (the parent who has less time with the children) has visitation with the children for more than 90 days in...