For moms facing a custody case, nothing strikes fear into their hearts quite like the possibility of working with a Guardian ad litem. As a mom myself, I can understand the fear. A lawyer (yes—a lawyer!) will have the opportunity to talk to you and your child’s father and even your child (without you present!)...
Working with a Virginia Guardian ad Litem
Custody and visitation cases can run the gamut. Of course, that’s because the facts involved in each case can differ dramatically from one to the next, and that can have a lot to do with how the judge rules. A lot of factors can influence Virginia custody and visitation. Obviously, what is appropriate for an...
Custody cases are messy, and sometimes it really starts to feel like anything goes. Allegations fly back and forth, and it quickly becomes a battle of he said/she said. Parents understand, usually, that it’ll be difficult for a judge or a guardian ad litem to really get to the meat of the case because there...
In the movies, children are often asked to decide which parent they want to live with after a divorce. In popular culture, too, I think the understanding is there that, at a certain point, a kid can make decisions for himself about where he’ll spend the majority of his time.In the movies, children are often...
Everyone hates their Guardian ad litem. Everyone. And, at some point, almost everyone asks how they can have their Guardian ad litem removed. I hear all the time that they’re totally biased. That the GAL is probably sleeping with the child’s father. (True story, I’ve heard that!) That they aren’t doing their job. That they...
Whether you or your child’s father originally filed custody petitions, it’s a pretty scary process. If he has an attorney and you don’t, it’s probably especially scary. Though there’s no rule that says you have to have an attorney in any divorce or custody cases in Virginia, navigating the system on your own can be...
In Virginia, as in most states, the standard we use for custody cases is the best interests of the child. In Virginia, as in most states, we have a number of factors that comprise, basically, what factors we believe account for what types of choices, when it comes to custody and visitation, are in a...
Trials are tough. They’re really intimidating and, at the end of the day, it’s really hard to know how the cookie is going to crumble, so to speak. There’s a lot of risk inherent in leaving everything (especially when “everything” is as important as custody of your children!) up to a judge—the one person in...