Everyone is using AI. Heck, I’m using AI. I don’t always use AI, and I don’t use AI instead of writing things myself, like this article. But I do use it sometimes for inspiration, to proof and polish, or even to help fill in gaps. Sometimes, when I can’t find the words (which, I admit,...
Can I use AI to help me prepare my divorce?
Virginia is not a state that follows a presumptive 50/50 custody model. In Virginia, the court is supposed to consider all forms of physical custody – primary, shared, and split – equally before making a decision in line with the “best interests of the child.” That doesn’t mean, though, that we don’t see a lot...
When it comes to custody and visitation decisions, there are a lot of criteria that we – attorneys, judges, and Guardians ad litem – must consider. As a parent, there are a lot of criteria you may be weighing, too. One of those factors is almost certainly the child’s preference. Does the child prefer to...
Going through a custody case is harrowing in the best circumstances (is that an oxymoron?) but it’s even worse when your soon-to-be ex is an alcoholic or struggles with substance abuse issues. And you know what’s worse than that? Knowing he’s an alcoholic but without having information or evidence to back it up. You’ve seen...
This month, we’re giving the warmest welcome to Brittany Hudgens, the newest attorney in our Virginia Beach office! Brittany is a graduate of Regent University and, most recently, practiced family law (among a few other things) with two other local area law firms. She also worked for a time with the Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney...
I’m married – and I’m a divorce attorney. It’s a bit of an oxymoron, isn’t it? Or is it? I don’t even know anymore. I’m also a pretty connected, online person, so I hear all the chatter (I try to make sure I hear all the chatter) about staying single, getting or staying married, and...
It’s not superficial to be concerned with the way you present in public and, whether fortunately or unfortunately, the sartorial choices you’re making matter. They matter across the board, but it definitely matters if you’re going to court in your family law case. Full disclosure: Virginia doesn’t technically have “family court,” or, at least, that’s...
There are questions that no one else can answer for you – and this is definitely one of them. Though, over the course of our careers, each of us have counseled hundreds (thousands?) of women, telling a woman that she should absolutely leave her husband is … not something that we do. In most cases,...