Is there a 50/50 presumption for custody in Virginia?

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...

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Virginia Separate Debt in Divorce

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...

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Virginia Marital versus Separate Debt

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...

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What is parental alienation?

  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...

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Attorney’s Fees in Virginia Divorce

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...

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Separate, Reconcile, or Divorce?

Relationships are complicated. I’m sure you already know that. But it does bear mentioning, in any case, because it gets to the root of what we do here. Sometimes, it seems as though it doesn’t make any sense, least of all to us, who know one party only a little and the other not at...

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Trauma Responses to Divorce and Custody Cases

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...

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After you’ve lost child custody in Virginia

There are probably very few things as devastating as losing custody of your children. As a mother myself, I can only imagine. In my experience, this happens pretty rarely, and (I’m sorry to say) often not without reason. In the majority of cases, the parties agree about how custody and visitation will be handled between...

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