I can’t afford a Virginia divorce lawyer. Legal representation is expensive. I get it. And it’s often especially scary because, at the beginning of a case, it is difficult to know how far and how long it’ll go. Family law attorneys take cases on retainers, and work is done on an hourly basis. We don’t know how long a case will last, or what it will take, before all is said and done. And with some cases – like custody, appeals, or enforcement of an agreement – things can pop up later on down … [Read more...]
Negotiating a separation agreement
A client of mine, who had retained me to help her draft a separation agreement, forwarded me the draft separation agreement that her husband had prepared while we were working on ours, with the caption “Things just got ugly.” I was confused – after all, I was retained to prepare a separation agreement, much like the one that opposing counsel had just sent to my client. Why would that mean that things had gotten ugly? Over the course of the evening, she sent me 6 or more additional emails with … [Read more...]
Handling Divorce and Custody
I often find that, when reaching a separation agreement isn’t as easy as previously thought, many people (especially those who had hoped to navigate their divorce without the assistance of attorneys) find themselves filing for custody. Though I can certainly understand the appeal of this (after all, custody is THE biggest issue in cases where there are minor children), sometimes it’s not the best course of action. After all, you can go through the court process (with or without attorneys) but … [Read more...]
Making the decision to divorce
Divorce is a big decision, and it’s not one that anyone undertakes lightly. No matter who you are or where you came from, you’re not making this decision easily. In fact, you probably haven’t even made any type of decisions for sure at this point. If you’re like most women, at this point, you’re simply gathering information in an attempt to protect yourself. I get the impression that a lot of people feel like getting divorce information is like opening Pandora’s Box. Or, at least, coming in … [Read more...]
Juries in Virginia Divorce
If you read my article on Monday about common law marriage in Virginia, you should know by now that sometimes I write articles about things that don’t exist as much as things that do. (See also my article on Pro Bono divorce assistance.) I write it mostly because I find that these are common misconceptions that people have and it’s easiest to go ahead and address these head on, rather than just as a footnote in another article that you might not be looking for if you’re wondering about … [Read more...]
Women in Divorce
We’re the only firm in Virginia representing women only in divorce or custody cases, and we have been for awhile. In our area, there are two firms representing men – though, if I’m not mistaken, they don’t represent men exclusively. I had a settlement conference recently with one of the attorneys from one of the men only divorce firms and it was interesting. Well, it’s almost always interesting, of course, but I felt like I learned a lot, and definitely some things that Virginia women … [Read more...]
Beginning the Virginia Divorce Process
It can be hard, in many cases, for women to know what sort of decisions they ought to be making at the beginning of the divorce process. It can all seem so shrouded in mystery that it’s hard to know which way is up. It’s often compounded by the fact that many husbands seem all to willing to tell their soon to be ex wives lies or half truths about how divorce law in Virginia really operates, which makes even the most independent, free thinking women terrified about the possible … [Read more...]
What to Expect at a Virginia Divorce Seminar
I know, I know. Going to a seminar on divorce, especially on a Saturday morning, probably sounds like the last thing in the world you want to do. Besides that, attorneys are dry and boring. And it could be embarrassing. Because, after all, everyone knows you’re there because your marriage is falling apart. What if you see someone you know? We get it. It’s scary to walk into the unknown, especially when the unknown carries such long lasting and financially and emotionally difficult … [Read more...]
Top Tips for Dealing with a Narcississtic Husband in Virginia Divorce
If you’re married to a narcissist, I don’t need to tell you that your divorce is going to be more difficult than the average divorce. I probably also don’t need to tell you that, chances are, you’ll need an attorney to help you navigate this particular minefield. It’s unfortunate that you’ve found yourself in such a difficult position, but you’re going to need help. A narcissistic husband is so able to twist the facts to support his cause that you may find yourself feeling confused and … [Read more...]
Sheera Herrell Taking Over as Managing Attorney and CEO of Hofheimer Family Law
Sheera Herrell Taking Over as Managing Attorney and CEO of Hofheimer Family Law We’re both excited and incredibly sad to announce that big things are under way at Hofheimer Family Law. If you know us, you know that for the last 25 years (yes, 25!) we’ve been dedicated to representing women only in divorce, custody, and support cases in Virginia. It all started in the 1990s when our founder, Charlie Hofheimer, started the firm. He was soon joined by Jack Ferrebee, and then, just a few years … [Read more...]
