In Virginia, there is no requirement that you hire an attorney to represent you in a divorce or custody case, whether at the juvenile or circuit court level (or even beyond, if your case merits an appeal). If you choose not to hire an attorney, you represent yourself. We call people who represent themselves pro...
Articles
If you’re a woman in the military and you’re getting a divorce, you’re not alone. Though the reverse dynamic – a man as the active duty military service member and a woman as the dependent spouse – is more common, that doesn’t mean that the reverse doesn’t also occur. Plenty of women are active duty...
As much as I’ve written about child support over the years, I think there are still a lot of things that people don’t understand about how it works. Custodial arrangements – or parenting plans – vary dramatically these days, and though it’s true to say that more parents share custody than have primary physical...
It’s October again, which means that it’s domestic violence awareness month. Before I started working in family law, I’m not sure I realized how prevalent domestic violence actually is. It’s not all dramatic cases where there are protective orders, either. I can’t get over – even now, after over 12 years in practice –...
In case you haven’t heard, we just re-launched our super popular custody seminar, Custody Bootcamp for Moms, back in July – after a several year break because of the pandemic. Custody Bootcamp for Moms is an intense, all day seminar – taught by attorney Caitlin Walters, who has practiced family law in Virginia for...
Marriages of more than 30 years are sort of in their own category. Once you get to the point that you’ve spent three decades together, there’s no question that you’ve accumulated some joint assets. There are some things that are, generally speaking, easier. It’s unlikely, at this point, that you have minor children together –...
If you’re not familiar with the law – and, really, why would you be? – you probably find that there’s a lot in your potential upcoming divorce or custody case to confuse and overwhelm you, aside from just dealing with the regular transitions and upheaval that these types of cases can bring into your personal...
In the beginning stages of planning a divorce or custody case, things can be especially tricky. In addition to wanting to be respectful and tactful towards your partner, you want to plan strategically how you should move forward. You also want to stay safe. No matter what the particular circumstances of your case, you deserve...