A GAL is a Guardian ad litem. A Guardian ad litem is an attorney appointed by the court to represent a person who, legally at least, is considered unable to represent themselves. In Virginia, we see GALs appointed in a couple of different scenarios – in cases where a party is incarcerated or where they...
Who – or what – is a Guardian ad litem?
I love easy questions but, in family law, I get so few of them that when I do see a truly easy question with a truly easy answer, I almost can’t believe my luck. The short answer is no, you do not have to be flexible with your child’s father when he asks for changes...
You can get a court order establishing child support in one of two ways. One: You can file a petition with the juvenile court for custody, visitation, and/or child support, go to court, and ask the court to establish child support (as well as, potentially, custody and visitation). This can be either an initial...
As soon as your child’s father realizes the connection between parenting time and child support – basically, the more time he takes, the less he’ll pay – he’ll probably start asking for more time, whether he actually wants more time or not. So, the immediate, and natural, reaction most moms have is, “Well, what if...
There is so much confusion around family law and all the different ways that cases can come up. Sometimes, it’s a matter of divorce; in othercases, it’s just custody. It’s seldom the question of something seemingly simple – like an annulment – but it is possible that you could just breakup, if you were never...
For most moms going through a divorce or separation, their kids are their first, last, and pretty much only concern. Especially in the early days, they wonder how to talk to their kids about their divorce or separation (particularly when they don’t know and don’t have all of the answers themselves), how to help them...
Very few things in the world are truly ‘one size fits all,’ even though it can sometimes feel that way. There is more than one solution to a problem and the same is true for spousal support. Though many women – and it’s not always women, but, hey, that’s my audience – receive a certain...
One of the most difficult parts of child custody litigation is that it can be virtually never ending. Since custody, visitation, and child support are modifiable based on a material change in circumstances, you can – theoretically, at least – find yourself in court again and again, at least until you children turn 18 and...