When things don’t work out between you and your child’s father, it often leads to a tumultuous transitional period. Whether you were married or not, separating often means finding a new place to live. Depending on your socioeconomic and employment status, finding somewhere new may be a more difficult proposition for you than for others in your situation. After all, not everyone has family or friends they can call on if they get in a sticky spot; especially for military families when they … [Read more...]
Alcoholism in Divorce and Custody Cases
Alcoholism is a widespread issue in the United States, and it’s no small wonder that we see it pretty often in divorce and custody cases. Whether it’s your alleged alcoholism, or whether you’re worrying about your husband’s consumption of alcoholic beverages (and, of course, whether it’s a divorce or a custody case we’re talking about), there are some things you should know as you prepare to face a family law case in the Virginia courts. Alcoholism in Divorce Cases The first thing you should … [Read more...]
Deadbeat Dad Now Wants Custody
Divorce and custody cases do all sorts of things to people. Things that, before the case were on the horizon, would have seemed unthinkable—in both good ways and bad. One of the most annoying things that happens is when a formerly deadbeat dad decides that he now wants custody, or at least wants more parenting time with the children than you might have originally expected given his general lack of interest and involvement up until this point. It’s frustrating, but it’s also incredibly common. … [Read more...]
Facing a Virginia Child Custody Case
I’m about to have a baby. Well, to tell the truth, I still have a couple weeks before my due date—but I’m also feeling a little bit like everyone I know is on baby watch. I’ve never been so critical of every single feeling I have, wondering if it means something more. It’s my first baby. I’ve never been through this before, so I think that has a little bit to do with the way I’m feeling right now. It’s always really nerve wracking to go through something new, especially when it’s going to … [Read more...]
Can I date now that I’m separated?
Some women swear that, after divorce, they’ll never date again. Others seem to find love again quickly and easily without really trying. Whatever your feelings are regarding love and relationships after divorce (though I can tell you that, statistically, you will find love again), you should also know that, before divorce, there are some issues. Once you’re separated, you’ll probably start to feel like the ties that bound you to your husband are starting to loosen—and start thinking of other … [Read more...]
Preparing for a Custody Trial
Trials are tough. They’re really intimidating and, at the end of the day, it’s really hard to know how the cookie is going to crumble, so to speak. There’s a lot of risk inherent in leaving everything (especially when “everything” is as important as custody of your children!) up to a judge—the one person in the courtroom who knows the LEAST about the case. When you’re preparing for a custody trial, you’ve go to be really careful, because you don’t want to put so much as a single toe out of line. … [Read more...]
Reunification in Virginia
Sometimes it seems like the types of cases we see come in waves. We don’t have many cases of a particular type or with a specific theme and then (bam!) all of a sudden we have five or six, and we’re all grappling with similar issues. Of course, especially in custody, no two cases are the same, and the way a case is decided can be determined based on one specific fact, so it can be hard to take particular points away from a specific type of case. That doesn’t stop us from trying, though! And one … [Read more...]
Divorce Paperwork
You’ve Googled, and still you’ve found nowhere reputable that offers anything even close to approximating the kind of divorce paperwork you’d need to file for divorce on your own – without the help of a divorce and family law attorney – in Virginia. There’s Legal Aid, but, of course, they won’t help unless you’re really poor. Even if you are really poor, chances are they still won’t help (it’s not their fault; they just don’t have the manpower). They’ll give you a consult, give you some legal … [Read more...]
