In many ways, contested or uncontested, your divorce is a negotiation. In most cases, regardless of whether you initially file on fault, your divorce will ultimately be settled. That’s not a dig; in fact, it’s an ideal situation. Rather than leaving it up to a judge, you and your husband can reach an agreement about...
Will I have to give up on things I want in my Virginia divorce?
What to expect at a judicial settlement conference Judicial settlement conferences can happen for a couple of different reasons. If your divorce is contested, oftentimes courts require that you have a judicial settlement conference before your trial, in an attempt to encourage the parties to settle on their own without the judge’s involvement. (If your...
Worrying about money is the worst. When you’re not quite sure how you’re going to pay your bills, keep a roof over your head, provide for your children, save for retirement, hire a divorce attorney, and put food in everyone’s bellies, it’s a concern. Not to mention all the little extras that come up, and...
If ever there was a bad time to be thinking that your marriage is on the rocks, it’s right after you’ve delivered a baby. Add to your level of stress (you know, related to delivery, recovery, post partum, the realities of raising a baby) with the fact that you may or may not be able...
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...
I get asked all the time what the general rule is with respect to getting a boyfriend after separation. To be fair, a fair number of my clients tell me that they’ll never remarry and that men are scum, but there are plenty of others who are looking for love before the ink is dry...
Even though we’ve all heard tons of horror stories about divorce, I find that a lot of people don’t really have any actual idea about what’s involved in a divorce. All too often these days, most of what we “know” (or think we know) comes from TV rather than from actual experience. If you’re facing...
Some marriages have been over for years before the Mrs. sets foot in our office. Others—well, let’s just say they’re a little more up in the air. Some women come in just wanting a little more information about what might happen if things start heading towards divorce. Others try marriage counseling first, and only come...