There’s more than one way to skin a cat, or so the saying goes. I’d never skin a cat. I love cats. It’s just an expression. Don’t be weird about it. But if you have an objective in mind – basically, getting an agreement for divorce – there’s more than one way to do it. ...
Separation Agreement v. Postnuptial Agreement
There’s a point in every divorce negotiation where we – sometimes me, sometimes my client, sometimes both of us together – wonder whether it’ll ever be possible to reach an agreement. It’s a hard thing to do and every single point can be contentious. This is especially true when one party *really* doesn’t want the...
It doesn’t happen all the time, but every so often I have a consultation with a woman who decides – for one reason or another – that she really can’t leave her marriage, no matter how much she’d like to. Why? There are a million reasons, but it often comes down to a couple...
When you retain a divorce lawyer, you have two options: (1) separation agreement, and (2) divorce. Either way, you’re taking necessary steps towards divorce – but the process might look different depending on which way you go. Let’s talk about it. Either you and your ex agree how you’ll divide things – or the judge...
In Virginia, joint legal custody means that coparents have to work together to reach decisions on three main issues: non emergency medical care, education, and religious upbringing. In many cases, we don’t have any issues in any of these three areas though there are some notable exceptions. Sometimes, the issue of vaccinations comes up; in...
For many people who are in the beginning stages of contemplating a divorce, one of the first steps is a so-called trial separation. During this time, many things can happen but some of the most common are attending marriage counseling, meeting with pastors and other counselors belonging to the couples’ religious faith, meeting with attorneys,...
Everyone is using AI. Heck, I’m using AI. I don’t always use AI, and I don’t use AI instead of writing things myself, like this article. But I do use it sometimes for inspiration, to proof and polish, or even to help fill in gaps. Sometimes, when I can’t find the words (which, I admit,...
Going through a custody case is harrowing in the best circumstances (is that an oxymoron?) but it’s even worse when your soon-to-be ex is an alcoholic or struggles with substance abuse issues. And you know what’s worse than that? Knowing he’s an alcoholic but without having information or evidence to back it up. You’ve seen...