Most of the time, even when their parents are going through a divorce, kids are wonderfully resilient. Sometimes, though, the issues exacerbated by the divorce – especially if their dad is a high conflict, mentally ill, abusive, obnoxious, or otherwise unstable – can create a perfect storm for a child. In some cases, kids...
Protecting Self-Harming Children in Virginia Divorce
One very common provision in custody agreements (or separation agreements, if your custody case is part of a larger divorce action) is that neither party will make disparaging comments about the child’s other parent in the presence or hearing of the child. Sounds easy, right? Don’t talk badly about each other. Full stop. It’s...
If you’re hoping to navigate a divorce while suffering the least amount of stress possible, you’re smart. Though I think we can all recognize the difficulty, few people give that much thought to how they can divorce better. When it comes down to it, there ARE choices you can make that will minimize the suffering...
One of the things that I find the most interesting about suicide, and the people who either commit it or don’t, is that it’s often a question of opportunity. For someone like, say, Sylvia Plath, who died of carbon monoxide poisoning after sticking her head in the oven, it was an opportunity. In that time,...
There are just some conversations that are difficult to have, and this one is a good example. I talk about divorce every single day, and, somehow, that never really gets to me. I have a fundamental belief that there’s no reason to stay in an unsuccessful, unhappy, unfulfilling, and/or abusive marriage. That, for me,...
I was reading a quote the other day that said that the best thing you can do for a narcissist is to give him a child. That was it – that was the end of the quote – but it really did get me thinking. It probably is the best thing you can do, because...
In a divorce, a lot comes down to the decisions that you make at the beginning of the process. I feel like I say this a lot, but I say it because it’s true. There is almost always a tense, emotional, complicated time between when you decide to formally separate and end your marriage,...
I got this question for the first time the other day – how do I prepare for an initial consultation – and I realized it’s something that I hadn’t specifically written on before. I’ve written about whether you can bring someone with you, what documents you should bring, what to expect, and so on, but...