For the past 30+ years, we’ve offered our monthly divorce seminars on the Second Saturday of the month. For a long time, we even called them ‘Second Saturday,’ because that’s when they were offered. Even after we added a Third Tuesday evening seminar, we still called them ‘Second Saturday’ seminars.
I think one of the things we liked about it was that it was more of an allusion to a meet-up, rather than calling it, somewhat obviously, a divorce seminar. It made it a little easier to reference in passing, especially in mixed company, and (hopefully) made it feel less intimidating.
No matter how you slice it, reaching the point where you’re ready to receive information about divorce is intimidating. It’s a huge step to take, and, for a lot of women, it feels like the tip of a very dangerous iceberg.
Though that’s exactly what we’re there to arm women against – going into divorce with no idea of their rights and entitlements and no clear plan – there’s no question that, for a little while at least, it’s easier to be the proverbial ostrich burying your head in the sand than it is to face your fears head on. Gathering information, making plans, coming up with goals and objectives for your divorce – well, it’s not easy work.
Still, women do better – anyone would do better, but we’re in the business of working with women – with more knowledge, information, and understanding of the overall process. When you can come up with specific, attainable goals, and move forward with a plan to achieve those goals, you’re much more likely to be satisfied with the results at the end of the day.
That’s not to say that things always go to plan. There are a lot of variables we can’t control. But if we do the best we can to put you in the strongest position possible, then we minimize the possibility that you’ll act emotionally, act out of fear, default to unhelpful (but understandable!) trauma responses, trigger that ‘fight or flight’ response, and suffer additional mental and emotional damage throughout the process.
To that end, we’ve extended our monthly divorce seminar program – and we’re trying very, very hard not to call them all Second Saturday, because at this point, it’s just confusing, but old habits die hard – to add a monthly lunchtime option.
Beginning in September 2022, we’ll offer our monthly divorce seminar on the Second Saturday of the month at 8:30 am, the Third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm, and the Third Thursday of the month at 12 noon.
Why?
Well, different schedules work better for different people. And, when it comes to getting information about divorce, one of the most important things is ensuring that you can do so in a quiet, safe space, without interference (or awareness) from your husband. So, while you’re at work, or while you’re at home and he’s at work, over your lunch break, in the car, or whatever – you can get the divorce information you need.
Originally, we thought Second Saturday was a perfect time, because it didn’t interfere with the work week. Then, we added Third Tuesday, after work hours, to help support anyone who found weekends difficult. In either case, though, outside of the normal work and school day, it can be difficult to find a time away from your husband, and away from your children. (We definitely don’t want any little ears listening; it’s definitely not a venue where children are appropriate.)
We went on that way for years, but decided – in the wake of the pandemic and after transitioning over to a Zoom-based webinar format, instead of our old school in person model – to add a monthly lunchtime option. It helps for working wives, who maybe are too tired at the end of the day, or too busy on the weekend, to attend our other seminar options. It helps for women whose husbands are – annoyingly – always around, so they can’t get a minute to sit on the computer and check out a webinar after divorce hours.
Whether you work full or part time, in an office or from home, or stay at home raising your children, we hope you can find a time to attend, if it feels important to you. If you’re ready to receive the information, we want to make sure that you have a (relatively) easy way to access it. I say ‘relatively’, of course, because I know that it’s never easy to add one more thing into an already-packed schedule – but we do find a way to make time for things that are important to us!
It’s an incredibly valuable use of an hour and a half; it’s chock full of information about the divorce process in Virginia, including how separation works, what grounds of divorce you can use in Virginia, what a separation agreement is and how it works, why you might choose to file on fault versus doing it uncontested, how property is divided, how spousal support is determined, and how custody and visitation are decided.
We also have our free books – four of them in fact – which are great, but the added benefit of the seminar is that it gives you the opportunity to ask questions to one of our licensed and experienced Virginia divorce attorneys. Each seminar is taught by one of our attorneys, and they field questions live from the audience.
It’s a great way to begin to figure out your next steps and to get the information that will put you in the best possible headspace to have the best divorce possible.
For more information, or to register to attend our next evening, morning, or lunchtime seminar visit our website, or give us a call at 757-425-5200.