We get calls all the time to request second opinions on ongoing cases, particularly in cases where there has been a breakdown in the relationship between the woman and her current attorney. It happens a lot; after all, there’s a lot at stake in a family law case (especially where we’re talking about spousal support and child custody), and it’s hard to entrust something so important to someone that you just don’t know all that well. It’s hard, too, when you’re comparing the performance of your … [Read more...]
Will you take my family law appeal case?
Will you take my appeal case? We get calls, from time to time, about appeal cases, both for custody and divorce. It’s not the most common type of call – appeals are, after all, more rare than other types of cases – but it happens. Of course it does! In a divorce or a custody case, there’s a lot at stake; sometimes, judges get it wrong. Sometimes, we have to figure out what the next best step should be to help a woman make sure she gets what she’s entitled to, or to correct a big … [Read more...]
Dividing Retirement Accounts in Divorce
Dividing Retirement Accounts in Virginia Divorce One of the biggest assets that we divide in divorce are retirement accounts. Whether we’re talking about IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, pensions, stock options, TSPs, or any other type of account, if they were earned during the marriage, they’re marital property and subject to division in any action for divorce. Retirement is actually (usually!) an easy area of law, because a formula is applied. You’re entitled to 50% of what was earned during the … [Read more...]
Divorce after an open marriage
Hey, I'm not here to judge. If I've learned anything from all my years working as a divorce and custody attorney, it's that families come in all shapes and sizes, and marriages don't necessarily conform to convention. If your family is a little on the unusual side, that's okay. In fact, anything is okay. You don't have to do things the same way as everyone else if that's not what works for you. I certainly won't judge, and you can pretty much guarantee that I've heard worse. If you've had an … [Read more...]
Should I talk to a therapist in the Virginia divorce process?
Most people don’t get divorced all that often. It’s not exactly a run of the mill experience, like washing your hair, shopping for groceries, or visiting the doctor. At no point will you really feel like it’s a sort of ho-hum type thing; in fact, for most women, it’s a pretty profound experience. I don’t necessarily mean profound in a bad way. It can be bad, but it can also be profoundly good. No matter what, though, it’s profound. You’re dealing with a lot of emotions and a lot of transitions. … [Read more...]
Should I hire Hofheimer Family Law?
If you’re facing a possible divorce or custody case, you’re probably wondering how to proceed. There are a lot of factors involved and, as a result, a lot of choices to make, especially at the beginning of your case. It’s hard to know what path to travel down, especially when you’re not sure what shape your case may eventually take, and being expected to start making these kinds of big picture decisions in the beginning can be daunting. If you’re like most women, you’re wondering whether you … [Read more...]
Why does my Virginia divorce case cost so much?
At Second Saturday and also in my initial consultations, one of the first questions I am asked usually has to do with price. Usually, women want to know how much their case will cost. It’s a difficult question to answer, and one that I’ve tried to tackle from a million different angles. When it comes to cost, and estimating, in general, how much your divorce or custody case will ultimately cost you, there are a lot of different ways you can look at it. Today, I plan to talk about as many of … [Read more...]
Estimating the Costs of your Virginia Divorce
If you had a crystal ball and knew how much your divorce was going to cost ahead of time, would you make the same decisions? Though it’s difficult to estimate legal costs ahead of time, it may be possible to estimate the total costs of your divorce. The total overall cost of your divorce can be incredibly wide ranging, of course, depending on all the issues. If you’ve got a house, an inheritance, a pension, a profit sharing plan, and a big fight over custody, your divorce will be more … [Read more...]
What are you sharing about your kids on Facebook, and how can it impact your divorce or custody case?
There’s no question that ours is a society that shares information first and then thinks later. Usually, that’s not a problem and, even if it is, it’s one of our own making—one that we can choose to deal with (or not), whatever the case may be. You can certainly choose to share whatever you like, whether other people like it (literally) or not. When it comes to your children, though, and the information that you choose to share about them (particularly if you’ve got a pending divorce or … [Read more...]
What is it like to be a Virginia divorce lawyer?
This job (like most things in life) is full of moments that teach me things. Almost every day, I have a moment where I think, “Wow, that’s something I never thought of before!” I make note of it, and move on. It’s experiences like this that make me a better attorney. Usually, it’s just something that happens in passing; I see something in a letter or a draft of a separation agreement that another attorney has done that I admire, or I speak with a client and she presents an interesting wrinkle … [Read more...]
