One of the main principles when it comes to drafting a separation agreement is that its legal if you and your husband have signed it. It doesn’t have to look a certain way or include specific words; it can be legal even if it was written on a beverage napkin or an old receipt. Of course, you...
Drafting a Separation Agreement
The decisions that you make can affect your divorce. “My life is in your hands,” my clients tell me, tearfully, all the time. To some degree, of course, it’s true. What we do is important, it matters deeply to our clients, and can have long lasting personal and financial implications. Still, when it comes to...
Spousal support is tricky. In fact, in a lot of cases, spousal support is the sticking point. It is very often the difference between a case that we can settle fairly easily, and one that we have to take to court to let the judge decide. In many cases, one spouse needs it, and the...
“I want a legal separation. How much will that cost?” It’s a common question, and I definitely understand why. For any couples who are on their way to a full fledged divorce in Virginia, a separation is the first stop. Divorce is one of those areas of law where things vary dramatically from state to...
As a group, attorneys have a pretty bad reputation. I, personally, think that’s pretty darn unfair, considering all the awesome things that attorneys, as a group, are able to do for their clients. Sure, we can argue both sides of most issues (including, as it happens, the side that you don’t particularly agree with, which...
Though most divorces have some similarities, there are a lot of things that can be different, too. There is no such thing as a “run of the mill” or “typical” divorce, so I’m always a little hesitant to answer questions without knowing more about each individual person and their backstory. I had a woman ask...
The first step towards divorce, for most couples, is a separation. Most people refer to it as a “legal” separation, though, in Virginia at least, there’s no actual, technical “legal” status. There are no forms to file, no protocol to follow; you are simply separated at the point when you decide to become separated. In...
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to start thinking about 2017, and how you’ll make it a better year than 2016. If you’ve been unhappy in your marriage, you’re probably thinking about the changes you could make in your personal life that would make you happier, more fulfilled, or a better parent moving...