No two divorces are exactly the same and they don’t always follow the same pattern. A divorce isn’t like a train on the tracks; it’s more like a roller coaster. There are a lot of highs and lows in between when the divorce proceedings are initiated and before the divorce is finalized. Much like...
Can I switch my divorce from contested to uncontested or vice versa?
On Wednesday, we discussed what a contested divorce means. We touched a little bit, too, on uncontested divorce – because it’s hard to understand one without the other. Contested refers to a divorce where the parties have not reached an agreement about how the assets and liabilities will be divided; in an uncontested divorce, on...
When you’re researching something new, the terminology can be confusing. The same can be said of divorce, and not only because so many Latin terms and phrases are used. “Contested” and “uncontested” aren’t words that come up very often in everyday life and, if you’re wondering what it means, you’re not alone. If you’re like...
Divorce and custody cases can be expensive. In fact, they usually are. Though we have cases every so often where we propose and sign an agreement within a couple of weeks, with minimal expense to the client, there are also cases where we negotiate and litigate for months – and sometimes longer – on...
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...
Though I’ve only ever practiced family law in Virginia, I’m pretty sure that everywhere – Virginia included – requires grounds in order to finalize a divorce. In Virginia, those grounds can be either fault based or no fault based. Whether you choose to file on fault or no fault depends, of course, on the facts;...
Women sometimes look for an out of area lawyer for a number of reasons. Distrust in the system generally is sometimes one. Another might be that you come from a smaller community, and your husband has already sought out and maybe interviewed with the most prominent attorneys there. (Because of attorney ethical rules, if an...
I spend a lot of time talking here about separation agreements, uncontested divorces, and how, in general, it’s often ideal to avoid going to court to have your assets and liabilities divided. In most cases, that’s quite true. But “most cases” is not every case, and you have to think critically about your case, and...