In a divorce, a lot of things are set in stone – regardless of whether the case is finalized by a signed separation agreement negotiated by the parties, or whether the case goes all the way to trial and the judge issues a final order. Things in equitable distribution, like the division of the retirement...
Virginia Material Change of Circumstances
Divorce is scary for anyone under any circumstances, but it’s especially scary as a stay at home mom (SAHM) who hasn’t worked outside of the home in a while. While I think we can all recognize that being a stay at home mom is work – in many ways, the hardest work! – the fact...
If you’ve had an attorney draft a separation agreement (or your soon to be ex has had an agreement drafted by an attorney), you probably have seen a provision that says that the parties are free to live as though single and unmarried. Sounds nice, right? I mean, yeah – that’s kind of why...
No two divorces are exactly the same and they don’t always follow the same pattern. A divorce isn’t like a train on the tracks; it’s more like a roller coaster. There are a lot of highs and lows in between when the divorce proceedings are initiated and before the divorce is finalized. Much like...
Domestic violence is everywhere. It’s a lot more prevalent than most people think, which is pretty alarming. When I started here, over a decade ago now, as a brand new baby lawyer, I was definitely surprised at how often it really happens. When I speak to women who have suffered from domestic abuse, they often...
Once you (and your spouse) have made the decision to divorce, you start to worry. How long is it going to take? How much is it going to cost? Will I have enough money to survive on after this is all done? In most cases, the tensions escalate before they deescalate, and there’s a...
We talked a little bit about college expenses last week, but I had a conversation with another attorney in my office about it and felt like there was still more to say. In Virginia, there is no provision for child support to be paid after a child turns 19 or graduates from high school....
We encourage our clients to think of their separation agreements as their own document. Though we have a form agreement that we base all of our agreements off of, there’s often a fair amount of customization that takes place. That’s the most ideal scenario. We take a document that we know already has some of...