Drug and alcohol are a major issue in divorce and child custody cases – and it’s one of the things that, in my experience, both Guardians ad litem and judges take seriously because it is very clearly and obviously not in the best interests of a child (or children) to be in the care of...
He wants more parenting time but he’s a drug user! What are my options?
In most cases, both parents will have the opportunity to have uninterrupted, unsupervised parenting time with their minor children, whether by agreement between the parties or by court order. In extreme cases, though, it is possible that the court would order one party or the other to have supervised visitation. This will usually be in...
There are very few things as anxiety-inducing as having to go to court, but this is especially true in the case of an emergency motion. In Virginia, one party can file and ask for a hearing to be held on an emergency basis; it is up to the court to either grant or dismiss that...
Family law – which includes divorce, child custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support – is a particular area of law that is incredibly state-specific. What you find to be true in one state is not necessarily true in another. Even states that are nearby – like, for example, North Carolina and Virginia – are...
We talked the other day about debt when it is marital and how it is often divided in a divorce. But marital ASSETS are categorized as either separate or marital before they are divided – so what happens in the event that debt is separate? It’s a good question. Typically, separate property is anything that...
Though we talk a lot about division of the assets, we often spend a lot less time talking about division of debt. Even though dividing debt is always an important part of a divorce, it tends to take a backseat – not because it’s not important, but probably more because it’s a whole lot less...
There are lots of ways that our all-too-human reactions to all-too-human situations can land us in hot water. Where custody and visitation is concerned, leaning in too heavily to our feelings and reactions to difficult situations can be a warning sign that there is significant danger ahead, especially if your case is litigated. Whether...
Divorce is a trauma. It’s a trauma for you, and, in many cases, it’s a trauma for your children, too. But, then again, probably many of the events leading up to your divorce and/or custody case were pretty traumatic, too. It’s not like you just showed up at a divorce attorney’s office unscathed, and suddenly...