Is there a 50/50 presumption for custody in Virginia?

Family law – which includes divorce, child custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support – is a particular area of law that is incredibly state-specific.  What you find to be true in one state is not necessarily true in another.  Even states that are nearby – like, for example, North Carolina and Virginia – are...

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Divorce Coach or Therapist?

If you’re hoping to navigate a divorce while suffering the least amount of stress possible, you’re smart.  Though I think we can all recognize the difficulty, few people give that much thought to how they can divorce better.  When it comes down to it, there ARE choices you can make that will minimize the suffering...

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Divorce During the Holidays

Divorce is a bit of a downer even at the best of times, but it’s probably doubly (or triply) difficult during the holiday season. In fact, there are a lot of people who just don’t even deal with their divorce or custody cases until after the holiday season is over, or just wait until afterwards to...

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The cost of divorce to women

  A friend of mine is getting a divorce. Just like everyone else, it happens from time to time, but an occupational hazard of mine is that they all reach out to me for advice and general support. It’s just the way it goes. It’s a time of crisis, especially in the beginning. And though...

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Trauma Responses to Divorce and Custody Cases

Divorce is a trauma. It’s a trauma for you, and, in many cases, it’s a trauma for your children, too. But, then again, probably many of the events leading up to your divorce and/or custody case were pretty traumatic, too. It’s not like you just showed up at a divorce attorney’s office unscathed, and suddenly...

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I got this question for the first time the other day – how do I prepare for an initial consultation – and I realized it’s something that I hadn’t specifically written on before. I’ve written about whether you can bring someone with you, what documents you should bring, what to expect, and so on, but...

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Custody, the holidays, and good mental health

There’s never a good time to go through a divorce or custody case, but probably one of the most difficult times to do so is during the holiday season. Though I think it’s true that most families fall into a rhythm over time with their parenting plans, there’s also a season of life where it’s...

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OCTOBER 26, 2020 BY KATIE CARTER   Contested cases are hard on everyone involved. I work with women, so my perspective is often that of the wife and mother. I actually rarely see children. It’s really not appropriate; for me to do my job, I have to have conversations with my client that could be harmful for...

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