Blog

Categories

Lump Sum Awards of Virginia Spousal Support

In virtually every case I’ve seen, spousal support is a specific amount of money paid each month from the higher earning spouse to the lower earning spouse. In virtually every case I’ve seen, the higher earning spouse hates this. Like, really, really hates this. In virtually every case I’ve seen, he (it’s usually a he)…

Women’s Entitlements During and After Virginia Divorce

Historically, divorce has been a bit of taboo. Henry VIII’s legacy notwithstanding, even the British royal family has had its own issues with its various brushes with divorce. In fact, Princess Margaret was the first to divorce in the immediate royal family – in 1978 – since Henry VIII, when he divorced Anne of Cleves…

What is imputation of income in Virginia family law cases?

  Divorce changes things. Though many women are quick to point out to me that the equitable distribution factors cite the standard of living established during the marriage, there’s often no way to maintain that standard post-divorce. Most people live up to their means, and there’s just not room in the average family’s budget to…

Vocational Experts and Spousal Support

  I’ve written about spousal support SO MUCH, and that’s mostly because it’s one of those areas of law that is not at all set in stone. There are things we don’t litigate all that much – like retirement, the marital home, and child support, for example – but there are other things, like spousal…

Inheritance and Virginia Divorce

Lots of people are, at some point or another, the beneficiary of some kind of inheritance. For many of us, it’s not significant monetarily, but, for others, it is. In fact, for some people, it’s a tremendous amount. An inheritance can be life changing. I’ve had clients who live in a home that they inherited,…

Will I have to get a job after divorce?

In a marriage, you make all sorts of decisions every single day. At some point, a decision that a lot of married couples make, especially if they have children together, is whether one parent should stay at home to care for the children. It’s not an easy decision, but it’s one that, for one reason…

Will getting a job impact my alimony?

I feel you – I’m a person who likes to take action, too. If you’re separating or headed quickly that direction, you’re probably wondering what changes you’ll need to make to your day to day in order to be able to afford the kind of lifestyle to which you have grown accustomed. In most cases,…

3 Ways a Virginia Prenup Can Hurt You

Prenuptial agreements aren’t a whole lot of fun. In almost every case I’ve ever seen, one party has the other party completely over a barrel, and it diminishes any amount of bargaining power that she might have otherwise had. But, then again, that’s the point, isn’t it? There’d be no real need for a prenuptial…

I drafted a Separation Agreement, but he won’t sign. What next?

You’ve agonized over the decision for months – sometimes, even years. After reflection and prayer and therapy and everything else you could think of to try, you’re ready to move forward with your divorce. I’ve seen it so many times! The initial consultation is often filled with tears, but, by the end, the woman walks…

Virginia Woman’s Guide to Spousal Support: Part 3

Between part 1 and part two of this article, we’ve talked about a lot of things that can come up in spousal support cases, including recent changes to the law that impact both the modifiability of spousal support and the tax consequences associated with it. We’ve also discussed, pretty generally, how spousal support is awarded –…