Harassment during Virginia Divorce
My sister in law asked me a question the other day – for a friend of a friend – and it really irritated me. Not that she would ask me a question; that’s fine, we’re really pretty close. But the question itself irked me. Her friend had a friend, from a really long time ago,…
Filed under: Divorce Tag with: affidavits | criminal | custody | divorce | evidence | family law | family law lawyer | harrassment | notarized | protective order | spousal support | trial | virginia | witness
If I fear for my safety, can I take my child and go?
Domestic violence is a very real issue in family law cases; it’s one we brush up against all the time. It was something that surprised me when I first started, because even in the most otherwise normal cases, there were undercurrents of domestic violence. A friend of mine from law school is a prosecutor,…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: child support | complaint | custody | domestic violence | fault based grounds for divorce | pendente lite | protective order | visitation
The Virginia Court System
In the election last month, one of my best friends was elected as prosecutor in her county. (She’s actually the first woman to have been elected in her county, ever – but, for my purposes today, a little beside the point.) It got me doing a little research into the local government and court structure…
Filed under: Divorce Tag with: appeal | child support | circuit court | court reporter | custody | de novo | divest | divestiture | divorce | domestic violence | juvenile court | military divorce | protective order | separation | visitation
Domestic Violence and Virginia Protective Orders
Whenever there is domestic violence involved in a case, we advise our clients about protective orders. It’s really one of the only tools in our arsenal available to help protect clients who are at risk from their former partners. On the one hand, it’s just a piece of paper. On the other, it works in…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: court | custody | divorce | domestic violence | emergency | judge | protective order | separation | virginia
Spouse Safe Protections Amid COVID-19
Some things change, some things stay the same. Even though the coronavirus pandemic has totally upended the world as we knew it, there are some things that were challenges before that continue to remain so. For us, in divorce practice, one of the biggies is making sure that we’re able to get information to our…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: custody | divorce | protective order | separation | spouse safe
Domestic Violence and Social Distancing
If you know me at all, you know I’m a huge anglophile. I can’t help it; I love the British. It has been a lifelong love, too. That’s generally not relevant to the work that I do. Once, I wrote a blog about Henry VIII and the differences between divorce then and now, and I…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: coronavirus | domestic violence | duchess of cornwall | pandemic | protective order
What’s an appeal de novo?
Considering it’s a dead language, there’s an awful lot of Latin in the law. Since so many of us are not Latin speaking, it can make reading the law, cases, and even general information about the law difficult – or, worse, nearly completely incomprehensible. Understanding the direct translation of a phrase doesn’t necessarily enhance…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: appeal | appeal of right | attorney's fees | child support | circuit court | custody | de novo | divorce | homeschool | juvenile court | marijuana | overnight guests | pro se | protective order | special needs | spousal support | visitation
Can my child’s other parent refuse to allow me to leave with the child?
We get a lot of questions about what your child’s other parent can and can’t do as the situation moves towards a separation. I get it – it’s scary, it’s emotionally charged, and it can get ugly, really, really fast. There’s really nothing that pulls on our heartstrings quite as quickly and aggressively and viscerally…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: abuse | child custody | child's other parent | custody order | domestic violence | leave with child | parental kidnapping | protective order | separation | travel with child | virginia | visitation
Can I move out of the house?
Even though most people these days live with their soon-to-be ex husband for a period of time during their legal separation, for most people it’s not a whole lot of fun. For others, it’s impossible. Depending on the specific factors that brought your marriage to this point, living together may be more or less feasible…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: abuse | constructive desertion | custody book | divorce | divorce book | emergency custody | exclusive possession | protective order | separation | separation agreement
Amber Alerts, Parental Kidnapping, and Emma Grace Kennedy
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…
Filed under: Uncategorized Tag with: abusive father | amber alert | child support | custody | emma grace kennedy | losing custody | parental kidnapping | primary physical custody | protective order | registered sex offender | sole custody | substance abuse | terminate parental rights | virginia | visitation
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