As a mom myself, I’m a member of a lot of online communities for moms. They’re not all divorce and custody related but, as you’re probably aware, we slip into that territory fairly often. I hear all sorts of questions related to it, and, mostly, in an online capacity, I don’t answer. These people don’t...
Visitation Exchanges with Stepchildren During the Pandemic
I’ve talked a lot recently about custody issues amid the coronavirus pandemic, but there are things about all this COVID-19 stuff that affects divorce, too. And that’s important, too! It’s complicated, it’s challenging, and it’s unprecedented, which means that a lot of the issues we’re facing no one has faced before. Not divorcing people, not...
There aren’t great answers right now. Unemployment is at its highest rate, like, ever, which is really scary. I keep reading about mortgage companies offering some forgiveness, federal student loans are at 0% interest and on a 6 month forbearance, and the possibility of even help from utility companies and others. At the heart of...
An ER doctor in Florida recently lost custody of her 4 year old daughter on a temporary basis as fears of the coronavirus pandemic escalate around the country. We keep reading about the stories of heroes who keep working despite the dangers of COVID-19, and we’ve realized recently how dependent we are on some of...
If we’re hearing one question over and over again amidst all of this COVID-19 drama, its, “When will the courts reopen?” Quickly on its heels is another, related question: “Why don’t you know?!” I get it, it’s frustrating. But the courts work differently – and separately – from the stay at home order issued by...
Can I refuse overnight visitation because of coronavirus? The pandemic is changing the world. It’s changing everything, and there’s a lot of underlying fear causing people to make decisions that are more or less conducive to supporting a parenting arrangement. I’ve heard of all sorts of things recently. Parents not wanting to send their children...
If you know me at all, you know I’m a huge anglophile. I can’t help it; I love the British. It has been a lifelong love, too. That’s generally not relevant to the work that I do. Once, I wrote a blog about Henry VIII and the differences between divorce then and now, and I...
Governor Northam issued a Stay at Home order for Virginia residents, effective immediately, on Monday, March 30th, 2020. I wrote last week about what would happen if a shelter in place order was issued, ironically right before Governor Northam issued his stay at home order. I’ve been reading up on these, and it probably bears...