The answer to every Virginia custody and divorce question
If I had a nickel for every time a friend or family member texted me with a random legal question, I could probably retire. But, of course, they aren’t interested in paying, they just want to get information. Sometimes, I wonder why – because I feel like I give the same answer to literally every…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | custody | divorce | legal advice | legal question | litigation | negotiation
Signed Agreements: Divorce and Custody
My three year old reminded me of an important legal principle the other day. He reminded me why you can’t overturn an agreement once you’ve signed it. How did he do that? Well, it wasn’t that sophisticated, of course; at least, not compared to practicing divorce law. But my husband has a habit of making…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | custody | divorce | duress | family law | separation | unconscionable
Is my separation agreement modifiable?
We talked on Monday about two of the big problems associated with finding a form separation agreement on the internet. There are all sorts of issues you can run into in family law cases, and, in an ideal world, you’d be informed about exactly what they are and what you can expect. A good way…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | child support | custody book | custody bootcamp for moms | divorce | equitable distribution | modifiability | spousal support | visitation
Custody and Visitation on Halloween
Holidays are hard. They’re always hard. I field questions about holidays probably almost every single day. Generally speaking, holidays are alternated between parents. We alternate legal holidays – the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. We usually alternate Christmas and Spring Break, too, to varying degrees, both to reflect the need for…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | children | court order | custody | divorce | halloween | virginia | visitation
Support of Another Child: Reduction in Child Support
There is no shortage of ways that sly fathers will seek to avoid responsibility for their child support obligations. I’ve seen a lot of creative solutions – and even outright requests for downward deviations from the guideline amount of child support – over the years. One of the trickiest ways I’ve seen a child’s father…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | child support | court order | custodial parent | support of another child
Handling divorce and custody separately
It happens sometimes – though I definitely don’t prefer it – that custody is handled separately from the rest of the divorce proceedings. It can happen for any number of reasons. Like everything else, divorce and custody cases are highly variable, and all sorts of things can happen that can result in people choosing to…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | appeals | child support | custody | divesting jurisdiction | litigation | modification | negotiation | visitation
Protective Orders and Divorce
Domestic violence is often a big part of a divorce case. It’s sad (and really, really scary) but true. We see these types of cases all the time. When I first started practicing family law, I was surprised at how many cases there were that involved some kind of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; maybe…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | custody | divorce | domestic violence | magistrate | physical abuse | protective orders | separation | sexual abuse | verbal abuse
10 Things You DON’T Want to Hear in a Virginia Divorce or Custody Case
Sometimes, my job isn’t fun, because sometimes I have to tell people things that they don’t want to hear. I like to give only good answers that make people (women specifically) feel happy and hopeful. That isn’t always possible, though. Sometimes, there aren’t great, exciting, happy, hopeful answers to give. And part of me doing…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | contested divorce | custody | divorce | pro bono | separation | uncontested divorce
When will he start paying me child and spousal support?
When will he start paying me child and spousal support? It’s a question we hear all the time. Financially, divorce can be complicated. In most cases, even in cases where there’s plenty of money, there’s some nervousness and confusion when it comes to how everything will be divided. Even though, in the Virginia Code, the…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: agreement | child support | contested | court order | custody | divorce | spousal support | uncontested | Virginia divorce