Help! I was served with a complaint and a notice of hearing I talk a lot about separation agreements – those legal contracts negotiated between husbands and wives that divide up the marital assets and liabilities between the parties so that they can get an uncontested divorce without even going to court. But not every divorce follows this familiar path. Sometimes, for one reason or another, one party files first – and, in some of those cases, the complaint comes to the other (often … [Read more...]
Changing your name after Virginia divorce
Changing your name after Virginia divorce If carrying his name after divorce really gets under your skin, I have good news for you. It’s super easy to petition the court for a name change to resume a former or maiden name during the divorce process. Of course, for many people, keeping the same name as the kids is important, even if you’d really rather not still carry your ex-husband’s name. I can’t weigh the pros and cons for you, but, if you do decide that you’d like it changed, that’s … [Read more...]
Virginia Custody Issues: He won’t let me see the kids
He won’t let me see the kids To cut to the chase and state the obvious as simply as possible: if there’s no custody order in place (as in, you and your child’s father have never (1) been to court to let a judge determine custody, and (2) you’ve never signed an agreement related to custody and visitation), both you and your child’s father have equal and complete rights to your children. You can take them when and where you want, including but not limited to Timbuktu. Though your child’s … [Read more...]
When do I serve my husband with divorce papers?
When do I serve my husband with divorce papers? I find there’s often a lot of confusion about what it means to serve someone and at what point you have someone served in a divorce case. There’s so much confusion, and it’s really almost nearly universal, that I feel like service of process is something worthy of the devotion of an entire article. What does it mean to serve someone? When someone is served, a process server (a private person from a company hired to serve process, who must be … [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...]
Virginia divorce complaint
If you have already gotten a copy of our free Virginia divorce book, “What Every Virginia Woman Needs to Know About Divorce,” you’ve seen the Virginia divorce complaint I’ve copied here below. If you HAVEN’T gotten a copy of our free Virginia divorce book yet, you should go ahead and request one now (you can request one quickly and easily by clicking this text here), and you’ll get an electronic version of the book to your email address right away. Open it, and you’ll see the Virginia divorce … [Read more...]
