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...]
Virginia custody seminar for moms
Gearing up to face a custody case – especially if you can’t afford to hire an attorney to help you – is pretty terrifying. Though there’s no question that divorce cases are difficult, both emotionally and financially, it’s the custody cases that tend to make otherwise sane people totally panic. It’s completely understandable. Until you and your child’s father separated, time with the kids was family time. Everyone was welcome. But now, thinking about what’s happening and what might be ordered … [Read more...]
College expenses in Virginia divorce
I have a nephew. Just one. He is the very first, though I’m sure a few more will follow pretty quickly. Before my nephew was born, we hadn’t had a kid in the family since my brother, my sister, and I were young—and, obviously, that has been awhile. My nephew is the first grandchild for my parents, so, needless to say, he’s a little extra special. For my sister in law’s baby shower, I opened a 529 account for him. I was really excited to do it because, after having spent so much time (and, … [Read more...]
Am I being unrealistic in my Virginia divorce?
No two divorces are ever the same—though, obviously, there are some similarities. Still, women come into our office all the time asking for very different things. One tells us she doesn’t really care about anything, she just wants out. Others tell us, over and over, that they think they should receive astronomical levels of support and all of the retirement, plus full custody and total discretion over when (and if) visitation ever occurs. There are dangers at both ends of the spectrum, and … [Read more...]
Military Support Guidelines
A lot of people, military and civilians alike, are pretty unrealistic when it comes to post divorce spousal support. Though it’s certainly understandable (because, after all, if you’ve never been through a divorce before—and, sometimes, even if you have—how do you know what’s to be expected? All you probably are aware of is that the military has specific support guidelines, and that the Virginia statute says that a factor for determining whether and how much spousal support should be awarded is … [Read more...]
