What is a retainer in Virginia divorce?
We get a lot of questions about the cost of divorce, pro bono work, attorney’s fees (like, can I make him pay mine?) and so much more. We find that there’s a lot of confusion about how attorney’s charge for their work and what it actually costs. That’s probably for a lot of reasons. I…
Filed under: Divorce Tag with: attorney | contested | costs | custody | divorce | hourly rate | litigation | negotiation | pro bono | retainer | retainer fee | saving money | settlement | uncontested
Advantages of a Separation Agreement
Divorce can take several different shapes, although the end result is fairly simple: either you get divorced with a separation agreement, or you litigate your divorce in court and the judge decides. A separation agreement is a legal contract that divides all the assets and responsibilities from the marriage between the parties. Most people ultimately…
Filed under: Divorce Tag with: collaboration | custody | divorce | litigation | negotiation | separation | separation agreement | visitation
When does permanent spousal support end?
Spousal support cases are some of the trickiest. Even though the law has changed recently to allow Fairfax guidelines to be applied in temporary support cases, permanent support cases are a little more tricky. The law also changed in terms of the taxability and deductibility of awards of spousal support; under the current laws, spousal…
Filed under: Spousal Support Tag with: cohabitation | death | litigation | manifest injustice | remarriage | spousal support | termination
What is cohabitation? Am I cohabiting?
OCTOBER 28, 2020 BY KATIE CARTER Cohabitation is a key component of legal separation in Virginia. For a lot of reasons – chief among them being the fact that separation is a sort of loosey goosey concept here in Virginia – we get lots of questions about separation. When are you separated? Am I separated? Do we have to…
Filed under: Separation Tag with: adultery | affidavit | cohabitation | FAULT BASED GROUNDS | immediate divorce | legal separation | litigation | Second Saturday | separation agreement | separation under the same roof | uncontested divorce
Should my child be in therapy during my custody case?
OCTOBER 26, 2020 BY KATIE CARTER Contested cases are hard on everyone involved. I work with women, so my perspective is often that of the wife and mother. I actually rarely see children. It’s really not appropriate; for me to do my job, I have to have conversations with my client that could be harmful for…
Filed under: Child Custody Tag with: abuse | BROKEN HOME | children | coparenting | custody | free books | litigation | mental health | parenting education seminar | PHYSICAL VIOLENCE | therapist | therapy | TOXIC MARRIAGE | virginia
Business Valuation and Divorce
I hesitate to use absolutes, because, in law, there are very few. We rarely say “never” or “always”; we often say “it depends”. But I’m pretty sure I can absolutely say that, if you or your husband own a business, your divorce is going to be more expensive than a divorce where we have two…
Filed under: Divorce Tag with: BUSINESS | business valuation | DIVISION | divorce | expert | FAMILY BUSINESS | litigation | separation | SMALL BUSINESS
Child Abuse and Virginia Custody Cases
Child abuse cases are seriously some of the most harrowing cases that family law practitioners have to deal with. To be honest, I can only imagine what it must feel like to have children in a position where you worry that, if your child’s father receives custody, they may be abused or mistreated in any…
Filed under: Child Custody Tag with: CHILD ABUSE | COPARENTING RELATIONSHIP | court | custody | custody book | divorce | free report | litigation | mental health | mental illness | reunification | separation
I have an ongoing, complicated divorce or custody case. What should I do?
Divorce and custody cases can be pretty complicated. Though these things can take shape in all sorts of different ways, generally speaking, when we meet with someone who already has a case going on and who is either checking up on the decisions her lawyer is making or is ready to fire her first (or…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: custody | divorce | hearings | litigation | narrative | ongoing case | retainer agreement | second opinion | switching attorneys
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