When Emma Grace Kennedy was kidnapped last week by her sex offender father at a gas station, it seems like EVERYBODY knew about it right away. There were Amber Alert billboards, text messages, and stories on the news. It’s every mom’s worst nightmare, especially for moms who are separated from their children’s fathers, but especially in cases where there’s something wrong with dad – whether he’s a sex offender, a substance abuser, a physically violent person, or something else, it adds an … [Read more...]
Will my new boyfriend hurt my Virginia custody case?
Let's face it, one day, you'll date again. For some, of course, it happens much sooner than others but, in the majority of cases, it happens. If you have children with your ex, no matter what else might happen, dating because exponentially more difficult. How do you talk about new boyfriends with the children? When do you introduce them? What if he has kids, too? There are a lot of questions, and it's difficult (understandably so) to navigate this complicated area. Some if it has more to do … [Read more...]
Small issues in Virginia custody cases
It’s easy, in a divorce, to lose sight of the forest for the trees. There’s a lot at stake, and so many different elements involved, that it’s easy to become fixated on something to the exclusion of almost everything else. Sometimes, it’s something big—like custody—and other times, in other cases, it’s something that, to me at least, seems small. Don't focus so hard on the small issues in your Virginia custody case that you don't focus on the bigger picture things. The other day, I was talking … [Read more...]
Custody Bootcamp for Moms
Are you worried that the attorney you hired to handle your custody case isn’t doing what he is supposed to be doing? Are you considering handling your custody and visitation case in the juvenile courts on your own? Whether you’re considering doing it yourself or you just want to know a little more about how custody works in Virginia so that you can check up on your attorney, you’re not alone. There are very few types of cases that are as scary and as potentially life altering as a custody … [Read more...]
Child Custody in Relocation Cases
Most of the time, custody isn’t a “win or lose,” “all or nothing,” proposition. Usually, when parents fight over custody, the judge winds up awarding some kind of shared custodial arrangement where both parents share a lot of time with the kids. It’s not necessarily 50/50, but both parents get to be with the kids a lot. Of course, keep in mind that I’m talking about good parents here. I’m not talking about cases where one parent is abusive or neglectful. I’m talking about a case where there are … [Read more...]
Virginia Custody Cases Where There is Abuse
As a mother, you would do anything for your children. It’s a cliché and yet, at the same time, it’s also incredibly true. It’s something I’ve witnessed time and time again in my practice, talking to moms who are in the middle of fighting for, or are preparing to fight for, custody of their children. In most cases, though that protective momma bear comes out regardless, custody is a relatively simple thing to determine. Both mom and dad are reasonably good parents, though they were (for … [Read more...]
