Use numbers: when settlement isn't settling Mike and Karen are getting a divorce. In Karen’s initial consultation, I discovered that they owned a $300,000 house with $100,000 in equity. They each had 401(k) accounts, earned entirely during the marriage, worth about $125,000 each. They had about $60,000 in savings, and $5,000 in their checking account. They had personal property, too, of course—TVs, computers, kitchen appliances, furniture, and so on. They also each owned cars—he a 2010 Toyota … [Read more...]
How much does a divorce attorney cost?
Every single day people asks me about how much a divorce or custody case costs. They ask whether we’re affordable, whether we have payment plans, and whether we offer free consultations. They ask about our hourly rates and our retainer fees and whether we offer flat fee billing. They ask what our paralegals and secretaries cost, and they definitely ask for overall estimates of the cost of their case. There’s no question that the question of “how much” is an important one. But how much does it … [Read more...]
Can I just pay you–later–for my Virginia divorce?
It’s hard to pay for a divorce. It’s really hard. It’s pretty expensive and, besides that fact, there’s all the other transitions and changes which, let’s face it, cost money, too. It’s hard to juggle it all, and certainly hard to afford it all. How do you pay for an attorney—plus begin to separate both of your lives? If one of you is planning on moving out, you’ll need a down payment for a new house or a security deposit and first and last month’s rent. Not only that, but you’ll have to divide … [Read more...]
Collaborative Divorce Virginia
When it comes to divorce, there are a lot of choices. Gone are the days when divorce was a one size fits all type proposition; these days, there are many more options. Though you still have to have grounds for divorce, potential grounds include both traditional fault based options as well as no fault. Keep in mind that no fault divorce doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any fault; it just means that, for whatever reason (but, normally, for the sake of expedience and efficiency), the parties have … [Read more...]
Divorce Costs
If I could give you one piece of advice as you begin to prepare for your divorce case, it would be this: keep calm. I know, I know. That’s easier said than done. Divorce is complicated, and it affects a lot of things—among the most important of which are your family and your finances. It’s stressful, it’s overwhelming, and your life is changing. On top of all that, your husband (you know, that man who promised to love and cherish you) isn’t being very nice. He’s threatening to do things … [Read more...]
Big Money Mistakes in Virginia Divorce
Because I’m in the business of divorce, I often hear this joke. Question: “Do you know why divorce is so expensive?” (The joker then expects the jokee to say, “No, why?”) Answer: “Because it’s worth it!” (Then, of course, the jokee is supposed to roll with uncontrolled mirth.) Maybe I’m a humorless attorney, but I don’t think so. I personally just don’t find that joke very funny, and I doubt if many of my clients do, either. It’s not that I don’t think divorce is worth it; in fact, in most of … [Read more...]
