My husband was arrested – divorce help, please!

Sometimes, divorce comes about gradually, over time, as people outgrow relationships that once served them.  In other cases, though, there was one triggering event that set events in motion, so to speak. These cases are the most difficult, I think, because it wasn’t a gradual thing that you could adjust to over time.  It was...

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The short answer is yes – you can choose to give your child your last name at birth.  The longer answer, of course, is that this can be complicated. For unmarried mothers, particularly ones who exclude their child’s father from the birth, this is easier.  We don’t necessarily assume that a child should be given...

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When can I start dating after separation?

There’s an easy answer to this question.  There’s also a harder answer.  Let’s get into it, though, and talk more about dating after separation and divorce. Dating after separation: the easy answer The easy answer is that life is messy.  That marriages often end long before divorces are finalized.  That, for many separated and separating...

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Adultery After Separation (But Before Divorce)

In Virginia, you are married until you are divorced.  While Virginia requires a fairly lengthy period of separation before you are legally permitted to finalize your divorce, being legally separated is not the same as being actually divorced. Separated is still married.  In fact, the entire point of requiring a period of separation is so...

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As you probably already know, not all wives are SAHMs.  Goodness knows I’m not!  From a divorce perspective, having access to your own income, benefits, and opportunities is so critically important.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – one of the biggest evils when it comes to divorce and child custody cases...

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What does a family law case cost? Part Three

Yes, I’m back, and I’m still talking about costs in your divorce or child custody case because there is (still) more information that I could share that might impact the choices that you make in your case, at least when it comes to whether to hire an attorney (and if so, whom). We’ve already talked...

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What does a family law case cost? Part Two

It is always hard to ascertain, especially ahead of time, exactly how much your family law case – whether divorce or child custody – will ultimately cost.  Even though I do this day in and day out, and have for over fourteen years now, it’s hard for even me to help give people the “ballpark”...

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As far as divorce is concerned, Virginia is a sort of tough state.  We’re somewhat old fashioned in that we allow for both fault-based and no-fault based divorce; we also require a much longer period of legal separation compared to many other states nationwide. In order to finalize a divorce action in Virginia, you must...

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