A friend sent me a message the other day about divorce to ask me about her divorce. It happens all the time! She had gotten an inheritance from her grandmother, she said, and used it to buy a car and a trailer, but that her soon to be ex was keeping it hostage and she couldn’t convince him that it was hers. (Under Virginia law, inherited property is separate property.) “Should I just give him half and move on?” she asked. In this case, I get it. These two people really didn’t have anything … [Read more...]
Preparing for Virginia Divorce
Sun Tzu wrote, "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting," and I think it’s a quote that applies really well to family law in general. To be fair, almost all of my cases come in with both parties feeling pretty agitated. Many clients tell me that they think their case will be a fight. It’s always a little hard for me to tell, since they all say the same thing, but, then again, probably 90% or more of our cases ultimately end up settling, so… Some do end up as knock-down, … [Read more...]
(Very) Short Virginia Marriages
(Very) Short Virginia Marriages We all make mistakes. Some mistakes are bigger than others, of course, but we all make them. If you were recently married, but have realized that it was a big mistake and you’re ready to work on finalizing a divorce… well, I don’t know the specifics yet, but I’d venture to say that it’s not even that big of a mistake. Sure, it’s a bit of a complication, and you’re probably feeling a little bit embarrassed, but a couple months of marriage and then a quick … [Read more...]
Fee Waivers and Scholarships for Hofheimer Family Law Seminars and Events
Fee Waivers and Scholarships for Hofheimer Family Law Seminars and Events If you’ve been following us for any period of time, you know that education for Virginia women facing custody and divorce cases is kind of our schtick. There’s no one else out there with divorce and custody related information specific to the Commonwealth of Virginia and targeted exclusively to women. The goal, of course, is to give women the information they need to make the best decisions possible for themselves and … [Read more...]
Girl’s Night Out Valentine’s Day at the Banque
Valentine’s Day: February 13th at the Banque Already dreading Valentine’s Day? Or just thinking about alternatives to the traditional red rose dinner with your, well, whoever? We’ve got a solution for you! Complaints about Valentine’s Day were common enough that something like five or six years ago we decided to start hosting a Valentine’s Day Girl’s Night Out event. We’ve hosted these events now for a long time, so we know how much it means to women (especially women who are going through a … [Read more...]
How do I choose a family law attorney?
How do I choose a family law attorney? It’s a million dollar question (or, at least, a $2,500-10,000 question). If you’re headed towards a divorce or custody case, how do you know whom to hire to represent you? You probably already know that you’re way better served having an attorney than not (or else you wouldn’t be here, reading this article), but how do you pick just one? Besides that, of course, lawyers don’t have the best reputations as a demographic. So, probably, it feels like an … [Read more...]
When your faith doesn’t allow divorce
When your faith doesn’t allow divorce Believe me, I am far from a spiritual adviser. What I am, though, is someone who has seen a lot of divorce. I’ve seen women in my office make arguments for divorce, and arguments against divorce. Though my general feeling is that most people who say that they don’t believe in divorce haven’t been unhappily married themselves, I do also hear from people who object to divorce on religious grounds. Though I don’t argue for or against divorce in any case … [Read more...]
My JAG Attorney Gave Me a Form Separation Agreement
My JAG attorney gave me a form separation agreement It’s not the first time I’ve written about JAG attorneys, and it probably won’t be the last, especially given that these same issues keep popping up time and time again in my practice. I’ve said it before: JAG attorneys are usually not licensed in the state in which they are stationed. If you’re military (which you probably are, or you wouldn’t have contact with a JAG attorney and you wouldn’t have found your way to this article), you … [Read more...]
Does Hofheimer Family Law offer free consultations?
Does Hofheimer Family Law offer free consultations? It’s a scary time. Once you realize your marriage is over – but before you’ve taken any action to formally end your marriage – is a time filled with uncertainty. If you’re like me, you want to take steps now to end those feelings of uncertainty, to come up with a game plan, to figure out how to solve some of these big, scary problems so that you can go back to sleep at night instead of tossing and turning endlessly. Most people turn to an … [Read more...]
What are your retainer fees?
What are your retainer fees? If that’s not a generic question, I don’t know what is! I know there’s a lot of confusion out there about how attorneys bill and what we charge for. I also know that there’s often a general feeling that we’re not all that willing to give straight answers. In law school, the joke was always that the answer to every single question is “It depends.” Today, I’m going to explain to you what goes in to setting retainer fees, and the different types of cases that we … [Read more...]
