Once I sign my separation agreement, am I single?

  If you’ve had an attorney draft a separation agreement (or your soon to be ex has had an agreement drafted by an attorney), you probably have seen a provision that says that the parties are free to live as though single and unmarried. Sounds nice, right? I mean, yeah – that’s kind of why...

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Are we legally separated?

  A lot of people have questions about legal separation, what it means, and when it actually begins. Oh, and also – why does it even matter? Being separated is important, because for most grounds for divorce (except for adultery, which technically qualifies you for an ‘immediate divorce’ – but don’t get excited, it won’t...

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I’m getting a divorce – what next?

  There’s are very few things quite as disquieting as realizing – or being told – that your marriage is over. Contemplating a divorce is no easy feat; it never is, not for anyone. There’s a period in time, before anything is anywhere near finalized, where everyone feels on edge. If you’re living separate under...

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  I talk about adultery a lot. To be fair, it comes up a lot. As far as fault based grounds for divorce go, adultery is probably the single most common. There’s no one, single, specific path that “every” divorcing woman takes. A divorce is a journey, and it’s one that can take a LOT...

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What is cohabitation? Am I cohabiting?

Cohabitation is a key component of legal separation in Virginia. For a lot of reasons – chief among them being the fact that separation is a sort of loosey goosey concept here in Virginia – we get lots of questions about separation. When are you separated? Am I separated? Do we have to sign something to...

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How do I file for legal separation in Virginia?

In Virginia, you have to be separated to get a divorce. In fact, you have to be separated for a year for most types of divorce. (The notable exception to this rule is divorce when you’re using adultery as your grounds, but you should read up on this, and its specific limitations, HERE if that’s something...

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  I talk about adultery a lot. To be fair, it comes up a lot. As far as fault based grounds for divorce go, adultery is probably the single most common. There’s no one, single, specific path that “every” divorcing woman takes. A divorce is a journey, and it’s one that can take a LOT...

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Filing for Virginia Legal Separation

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,...

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