I just want to get out of my bad marriage – help!

  One of the biggest risk factors for women in divorce is the fact that, statistically speaking, they are the lesser wage earners.  This means that, in many cases, many of the most valuable assets are largely controlled by the husband – including, but not limited to, any real estate, retirement accounts, bank accounts, and...

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  One of the unique things about Virginia when it comes to divorce is that we still allow fault based grounds for divorce!  Over the years, many states have modernized to the point that they only allow no fault grounds, but we’re one of the few holdouts.  We still allow adultery (as well as sodomy...

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Is it hard to get Virginia spousal support?

Spousal support is one of the more contentious topics in family law, as I’m sure you’re already aware.  In Virginia, the law on spousal support is not at all like child support, which is established by a formula and applied across the board.  No, spousal support is a lot more flexible on three points –...

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  Some things are easier to determine than others when it comes to resolving your divorce case and, unfortunately, spousal support is one of the trickier areas.  Not only has the landscape changed dramatically in recent years – even in just the thirteen years I’ve been practicing, as of the date of this writing –...

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  I’ll be the first to admit: I have a bit of an unfair sampling.  As a family law attorney, the cases with which I am familiar are the ones where the individuals involved – or at least one of them – sought the advice of an attorney. I know that not everyone does.  I’m...

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Not all Narcissists Make Divorce Awful

I know, I know.  If you’re married to a narcissist – whether diagnosed or undiagnosed – you KNOW how miserable they can make life.  And, if left to their own devices, they’d probably love to make divorce difficult, too. After all, if there’s one thing a narcissist (or a high conflict person or an abusive...

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Negotiating an Agreement v. Litigation

Not every case can be negotiated – this we all know.  But, in an ideal world, you and your soon-to-be ex would negotiate, because this is going to give you the most control over how your case will be resolved. No matter what issues are involved, you have essentially two options: agree, or go to...

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