If you’re here, you probably already know that you have to be separated for one year to get a divorce in Virginia. The only two exceptions are if (1) you have a signed separation agreement, and (2) you have no minor children born or adopted by the parties of the marriage, and if (and this...
What happens before you’ve been separated a year in Virginia?
For a long time, I thought the ten year myth – the idea that you had to be married for ten years to be entitled to a portion of the military retirement – was limited to military divorces only. Please note, of course, that I called it a MYTH. I didn’t realize that many civilians...
For most people, there is a period of time between separation and divorce where the soon-to-be divorcing parties live together under the same roof, often with their children. This is not so much a desirable situation – in fact, I think you could easily argue that it is anything BUT desirable – but it is...
Most of the questions that we get – at least in the early stages of a separation or divorce – is a basic one. “What should I do first?” It’s a good question, too, because I think it’s always smart to go into something knowing what to expect and having at least the outlines of...
It’s hard enough to be a parent in modern times; it’s even harder when you add in the difficulty associated with trying to be a collaborative coparent with your ex. Even in otherwise happy marriages, moms and dads disagree about what is best for their kids. In a situation where mom and dad are...
Just because you want a divorce doesn’t necessarily mean that you really know what you are entitled to receive – or, even more than that, what it might look like after the ink is dry on your final divorce decree. Hey, that’s okay! You’ve probably never been in this position before and, heck, even if...
I used to get lots of questions about common law marriage. Lately, well, not so much – until the other day. A woman asked me what, in my opinion, was a very perceptive question about whether marriage is designed to be a safeguard to protect spouses (and, in particular, lesser earning spouses). Most of the...
Whether your divorce and custody case is already on track or you’re waiting until the end of the holiday season to begin to move things forward, it’s no easy feat to keep on keeping on in the meantime. As a mom, you still want to make sure that the holidays are as magical for the...