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...]
Why won’t a Virginia divorce attorney take my case?
It happens sometimes that a potential client walks into our office, tells us their story, and ultimately walks away without a retainer agreement. There are lots of reasons we might not give a retainer agreement. Sometimes the potential client only comes in to get more information. Sometimes, they're not really ready to move forward just yet, or a more thorough review of the laws reveals that now wouldn't be the best time to move forward, even if the client personally feels like she is ready … [Read more...]
The Fifth Amendment and Adultery
Like everyone else, I’m a little obsessed with Hamilton right now; I saw it at Chrysler Hall this past winter, and watched it on July 3rd as soon as it came on Disney+. I’m also (no secret here) a Virginia attorney, and I’ve been reading up, since July 1st, on the new law changes that went into effect. One of the newest relates to the Fifth Amendment and claims of adultery. It makes me think of an exchange between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in the song ‘Non-Stop” where Hamilton is … [Read more...]
Un-Signing a Prenup
I talked last week about cases where a prenup is already signed (spoiler alert: YES, it IS a big deal!). The gist of it is that, in any case, a legal contract like a prenuptial agreement or a separation agreement exists in order to modify the law, and to make specific conditions apply to the case that may or may not be the ones prescribed by law. Without a prenup, the law is designed to treat property earned, purchased, or acquired during the marriage as marital property, which is to say that … [Read more...]
Avvo, FindLaw, SuperLawyers: What does it mean?
Virginia legal directories: Avvo, Findlaw, Superlawyers It’s hard to pick an attorney. How do you know who is any good? How do you know whether they’ve handled cases like yours? How do you know whether they’re as comfortable in a courtroom as behind a desk? How do you know…anything at all? Law firm websites are full of glossy headshots of attorneys featuring winning smiles and a variety of different colored (but still conservative) suit jackets. I mean, there’s a place for that; we have … [Read more...]
Can I fire my family law attorney?
Can I fire my family law attorney? It’s not like it’s something that happens every day, but, sometimes, things don’t work out between a client and an attorney. Sometimes, it’s the fault of the attorney (hey, you already know it – we’re not perfect); sometimes, it’s the fault of the client; sometimes, it’s situational. You can fire your family law attorney – you’re not stuck with representation that just isn’t working for you, for whatever reason. I’ve seen lots of craziness happen in these … [Read more...]
Why Good Moms Lose Custody
I’ll let you in on a secret: good moms lose custody. It doesn’t happen all the time. It doesn’t even happen most of the time. But, sometimes, good moms lose custody. Yes. Seriously. Sometimes, it happens that, even though a mom is a good mom, she loses custody. Why? Well, it really all depends on the unique factors in each case, but there are some similar themes we tend to see among cases like these. How are custody cases decided? When custody cases are litigated (meaning they go in … [Read more...]
