There is nothing quite as difficult as determining custody and visitation. As a mother myself, I can completely understand. When you’ve never had to divide your time with your children; when there never was ‘his’ time and ‘her’ time before, grappling with this new kind of divide can be incredibly difficult. How do you...
Virginia Shared Child Custody
Breastfeeding is important for many moms. Even though I think most of us can agree that fed is best and that there is not (or should not be) any stigma for moms who choose to feed their babies formula, breastfeeding is a big deal. We’re bombarded by messages about breastfeeding, and its benefits to both...
We talked a little bit about college expenses last week, but I had a conversation with another attorney in my office about it and felt like there was still more to say. In Virginia, there is no provision for child support to be paid after a child turns 19 or graduates from high school....
It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally a woman tells me that she doesn’t ‘need’ child support. It’s an interesting comment, and one that I feel kind of confused by. What do you mean – you don’t need it? Child support, after all, is not designed for the comfort of the parent receiving it; it’s...
One thing to remember about custody and visitation cases in Virginia (and everywhere else) is that you’re playing a long game. So many parents get wrapped up in the next court hearing and tie all their hopes and dreams on it, when, in reality, contested cases usually play out over years and years of hearings....
We encourage our clients to think of their separation agreements as their own document. Though we have a form agreement that we base all of our agreements off of, there’s often a fair amount of customization that takes place. That’s the most ideal scenario. We take a document that we know already has some of...
I like to say that, when it comes to divorce and custody cases, there aren’t a lot of rules. I mean, there are some rules – after all, we have to follow the Code of Virginia – but what I mean is that, when it comes down to determining what’s right and wrong for...
As if divorce (or a breakup) weren’t crazy enough, when you add children into the mix, things can really get overwhelming. For most – if not all – moms, their biggest concern when it comes to a separation, divorce, or breakup is what will happen to the kids. A lot of moms tell me,...