I spend a lot of time preaching about separation agreements. Obviously–see here, here, and here, for more information. I talk a lot about how useful they are, how much control they give parties over the way their assets will be divided, and the benefits of spending less on attorney’s fees (so you have more for...
Why file on fault in Virginia divorce
You’d think that what constitutes “do it yourself”, especially when it comes to a divorce or custody case, would be pretty clear. A do it yourself resource is one that allows you to do it yourself (duh). The best types of do it yourself resources would take you through from start to finish and explain...
It’s not one that we see all the time (in fact, we prefer not to have cruelty come up!), but, in Virginia, cruelty is grounds for divorce. Cruelty can mean a lot of different things to a lot of people; in fact, I think most of us can agree that to verbally or emotionally abuse...
Alcoholism is a widespread issue in the United States, and it’s no small wonder that we see it pretty often in divorce and custody cases. Whether it’s your alleged alcoholism, or whether you’re worrying about your husband’s consumption of alcoholic beverages (and, of course, whether it’s a divorce or a custody case we’re talking about),...
These days, it is probably safe to say that most people get divorced with a separation agreement. And that’s a good thing! That means that (though it may not have been the easiest thing in the world to do) they aren’t wasting time and money fighting over things in court. When you negotiate a separation...
In Virginia (and, I’m pretty sure, just about everywhere else) the divorce process formally begins with the court when a complaint is filed. That doesn’t mean, though, that the first thing you need to do is march down to the courthouse and file a divorce. In fact, in many cases, you don’t file anything until...
Today, we’re going to discuss an email exchange that I had the other day with a prospective client. Here’s the question she sent me: Question: I have consulted with another attorney a few times, and she reviewed a property settlement agreement that my husband presented me with before I moved out (on his urging) in...
One of the main principles when it comes to drafting a separation agreement is that its legal if you and your husband have signed it. It doesn’t have to look a certain way or include specific words; it can be legal even if it was written on a beverage napkin or an old receipt. Of course, you...