Should I use an online divorce resource to avoid hiring an attorney?

Divorce is a scary – and potentially expensive – process, so it’s no wonder that you want to explore all of your alternatives before you commit to a specific course of action.  Is there any way at all that you can avoid hiring an attorney?  Can you use one of the online do it yourself...

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In Virginia, there is no requirement that you hire an attorney to represent you in a divorce or custody case, whether at the juvenile or circuit court level (or even beyond, if your case merits an appeal). If you choose not to hire an attorney, you represent yourself.  We call people who represent themselves pro...

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I was giving one of our monthly divorce seminars a little while back when a woman used the Q&A function on Zoom to send me a question anonymously. (She didn’t need to do it anonymously; none of our attendees can see who else is in attendance, and only the presenter can see the name of...

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I get asked for recommendations all the time. For lawyers practicing in other areas of law, for therapists for divorcing women and their children, for cool lunch spots in the Hilltop area near our main Virginia Beach location (hey, I’m good at that one!), and even, sometimes, for mediators. Ugh, mediation. It is seriously one...

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Mediation versus Negotiation

We get lots of questions about mediation, and I can certainly see the appeal. Divorce is scary as it is. Hiring and working with an attorney is probably also a little scary. A mediator seems like a softer option, especially if tensions are already high. It’s nice to think that you could go in, sit...

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Should I sign this separation agreement?

Every so often I hear from a woman who, panicked, tells me she has to have a separation agreement reviewed TODAY. She has to sign it right now, or there’ll be dire consequences. It’s an emergency! It has to be done now! I hate these conversations for a lot of reasons, but, first and foremost,...

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