Does your firm accept payment plans?
One of the biggest questions in any divorce and custody case is “How will I pay for it?” For almost anyone, no matter how high or low of an earner they are, it’s a bit of a stretch financially. I look at a lot of people’s various account information, so, I can tell you, almost…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: attorney's fees | collaborative | custody | custody book | custody seminar | divorce | divorce book | divorce seminar | free legal advice | mediation | negotiation | retainer
If I fear for my safety, can I take my child and go?
Domestic violence is a very real issue in family law cases; it’s one we brush up against all the time. It was something that surprised me when I first started, because even in the most otherwise normal cases, there were undercurrents of domestic violence. A friend of mine from law school is a prosecutor,…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: child support | complaint | custody | domestic violence | fault based grounds for divorce | pendente lite | protective order | visitation
What is a parenting plan?
In terms of vocabulary, there are all sorts of things that we say when it comes to custody and visitation that may seem new to you. I’ve written extensively on legal and physical custody, the different types (primary, shared, and split), coparenting, parenting education seminars, and many other topics related to custody and visitation that…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: child support | coparenting | custody | holiday | joint legal | parenting plan | parenting time | primary physical | right of first refusal | schedule | shared physical split physical | sole custody | vacation | visitation
If we’ve been separated for years, is it still adultery?
I talk about adultery a lot. To be fair, it comes up a lot. As far as fault based grounds for divorce go, adultery is probably the single most common. There’s no one, single, specific path that “every” divorcing woman takes. A divorce is a journey, and it’s one that can take a LOT…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: anal | buggery | divorce | legal separation | marriage | oral | separation | sex | sexual intercourse | sodomy | spousal support | vaginal
How to Prepare for a Family Law Initial Consultation
I got this question for the first time the other day – how do I prepare for an initial consultation – and I realized it’s something that I hadn’t specifically written on before. I’ve written about whether you can bring someone with you, what documents you should bring, what to expect, and so on, but…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: attorney | custody | custody process | divorce | divorce process | emotional | family law | initial consultation | lawyer | legal advice | mental health | research | second opinion | therapist | therapy
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…
Filed under: Child Custody Tag with: 50/50 custody | best interests of the child | child custody | coparenting | divorce | parenting education seminar | primary physical custody | relocation | separation | shared custody
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…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: breastfeeding | breastmilk | child's father | custody | DAD | extended breastfeeding | lactation consultant | nursing | parenting plan | pediatrician | pumping | separation | visitation | WHO
What is imputation of income in Virginia family law cases?
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…
Filed under: Spousal Support Tag with: alimony | divorce | equitable distribution | fairness | imputation | military | separation | spousal support
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…
Filed under: Divorce Tag with: attorney | contested | costs | custody | divorce | hourly rate | litigation | negotiation | pro bono | retainer | retainer fee | saving money | settlement | uncontested
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…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: