Divorce is one of those areas of law that is very state-specific. Unlike certain areas of law that are federally controlled, each state is largely responsible for the divorce laws that govern in their courts. The states are, as they say, the social laboratories. So, it’s kind of hard to know, from state to state,...
Filing for Virginia Legal Separation
One of the first questions people ask about divorce is how much it will cost. I get it, and I’ve been in your shoes. When I know (or suspect) that something will be fairly expensive, I want to know, before I get too far along, how much I can reasonably expect to pay. Knowing that...
Women ask me all the time whether they should just get custody handled first, and then come back and handle the divorce itself. In a sense, I think I get what they’re saying – custody is the more pressing concern immediately, and needing to have that handled is clouding everybody’s judgment about everything. Maybe they...
I got a good question at one of my Second Saturday seminars the other day. A woman asked, “What’s a reconciliation clause? Do I even want one? I don’t plan on reconciling!” She went on to say that a reconciliation clause wasn’t included when she and her husband met with a mediator, but then that the...
If you’re married to a narcissist, I don’t need to tell you that your divorce is going to be more difficult than the average divorce. I probably also don’t need to tell you that, chances are, you’ll need an attorney to help you navigate this particular minefield. It’s unfortunate that you’ve found yourself in such...
In Virginia, there are two different types of custody: legal custody, and physical custody. Most of the time, parents fight over physical custody, because that has to do with where a child spends the majority of his or her time. Legal custody, on the other hand, refers only to the right to make three types...
In many ways, contested or uncontested, your divorce is a negotiation. In most cases, regardless of whether you initially file on fault, your divorce will ultimately be settled. That’s not a dig; in fact, it’s an ideal situation. Rather than leaving it up to a judge, you and your husband can reach an agreement about...
In many marriages, the house is the biggest asset. In others, it can be the biggest liability. Either way—asset or liability—the way the house is handled in divorce is a really big deal. Whether you want it, he wants it, or you just want it gone, the marital residence is a biggie. Whether you want...