We can all put divorce right up there on the tippy top of the list of things we don’t want to pay for, right? Even if you want the divorce itself, you don’t really want to pay the costs associated with it. A joke I hear all the time – especially when I tell random people what I do for a living – is, “You know why divorce is expensive?” And then they chuckle and say, “Because it’s worth it!” While you may agree, at least in part, it’s a little discomfiting to have very little idea of the total … [Read more...]
College Costs in Virginia Divorce
College is expensive. I know, I know – not exactly rocket science, right? And, especially in my cases where there are older teenage children, my conversations often begin and end on college education and the costs associated with it. I talk to mothers all the time, and they’re all super concerned about their kids well being and how to ensure that they are as minimally disrupted by the divorce and/or custody case that is going on in the background of their lives as possible. In … [Read more...]
Narcissists and the Drama Triangle in Virginia Divorce
Narcissists and the Drama Triangle in Virginia Divorce I recently read a really interesting article that really helps to explain some of the ways a narcissistic husband will try to manipulate a situation to their advantage. For their spouse, the behavior is toxic, damaging, and, oftentimes, really difficult to separate themselves from. Partially, it’s just the way we’re built. You know, psychologically. They say that men get their sense of self worth from external things, like the job they … [Read more...]
Could I have to pay HIM spousal support?
Could I have to pay HIM spousal support? Spousal support is one of those areas where tensions tend to run high. No one – husbands and wives included – want to have to pay it. But for the lesser earning spouse (and I can tell you, I’ve represented the lesser earning spouse many, many times), spousal support is sometimes the only real lifeline that they have. I’m going to make some generalizations here. (Though, of course, in my experience, these have almost always held true.) In cases where … [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...]
