Emotionally, going through a divorce or custody case (or, worse, a divorce AND custody case) is easily one of the most difficult things that you will face in your adult life. Many therapists even liken the experience of going through divorce to a death – it’s just that traumatic. Even a good divorce –...
Parentification in Virginia Divorce and Custody Cases
If one thing is true about children, it’s that things are always changing. That’s why custody, visitation, and child support are modifiable based on a material change in circumstances. When you determine custody and visitation for the first time, you usually do so either as part of a custody agreement or a court order. Either...
I’ve never come across a parent who admits that he (or she) is deliberately making things difficult on the children. No, almost every single parent I’ve met – including the opposing parties – insist that its all about the kids. But it’s not as though there’s only one way to move through a separation, divorce,...
Going through a divorce is an isolating experience. Once you’ve made the decision to divorce and it’s time to schedule an initial consultation, it can start to feel really real. You’re emotional, maybe you’re also going through some unresolved trauma, and you’re worried for the future – financially, emotionally, logistically. You’re worried you’re not in...
There are lots of ways that our all-too-human reactions to all-too-human situations can land us in hot water. Where custody and visitation is concerned, leaning in too heavily to our feelings and reactions to difficult situations can be a warning sign that there is significant danger ahead, especially if your case is litigated. Whether...
I first started writing articles about COVID-19 related concerns back in March of 2020, never expecting that an entire year later I’d still be dealing with concerns related to the ongoing pandemic. Custody and visitation issues are some of the biggest that we face in family law, especially when parents share children between two different...
I’ve seen firsthand what a special bond nursing creates between a mother and a baby. As a currently nursing mother, it sometimes seems that my daughter thinks that literally no one else is acceptable at any time of day, regardless of whether she’s nursing. I’m a nursing mom AND I represent women only in family...
Recently, on Facebook, as I mindlessly scrolled (come on, you know you do it, too) I saw a video that showed a child fighting a visitation exchange. The video alleged that the child was resisting going to spend time with her mother, because her mother’s boyfriend abused her. The end of it – the moral,...