Question: My child’s father and I share custody. Our child is involved in a number of activities and there are practices, games, recitals, meets, and more, all on a regular basis. I’ve always taken the child to everything, and I’ve never missed a game or performance, but now that we’re divorced, my child’s father is...
Can I go to the kid’s events during dad’s parenting time?
The short answer is yes – you can choose to give your child your last name at birth. The longer answer, of course, is that this can be complicated. For unmarried mothers, particularly ones who exclude their child’s father from the birth, this is easier. We don’t necessarily assume that a child should be given...
There are all sorts of different words that attorneys, judges, Guardians ad litem, divorce coaches, and others in the family law space use to describe the tools that we utilize in divorce and custody cases. A ‘parenting plan’ is a good example, because it’s one you hear over and over, but it’s also one that...
Choosing a family lawyer – any lawyer, really – is a difficult proposition, especially when you add to it the fact that, if you’re like most women, you are currently in the middle of one of the most difficult periods of your entire adult life. This relationship you built your life around, this one you...
When there are disputes over custody and visitation, they are often physical, rather than legal, custody issues. Physical custody refers to where the child(ren) spend their time and it can be awarded as either primary physical, shared physical, or split physical custody. Legal custody, though, refers to the right of parents to make three types...
As far as divorce is concerned, Virginia is a sort of tough state. We’re somewhat old fashioned in that we allow for both fault-based and no-fault based divorce; we also require a much longer period of legal separation compared to many other states nationwide. In order to finalize a divorce action in Virginia, you must...
Question: I am in a custody case in Virginia. My child’s father and I both have lawyers and there is a Guardian ad litem involved. I got a letter from the other attorney that my attorney forwarded to me, stating that they were withdrawing from the case. I asked my attorney if she knew why...
Once you realize that your marriage is over, you want the rest of your life to begin as soon as possible. But many women don’t know where to start and what their first steps should be. So, what should you do? In Virginia, you are legally separated when (1) you form the intent to end...