Before you do anything new, you ask a lot of questions. Before you book a vacation to a new resort, you ask your travel agent. Before you open a new investment account, you talk to an account manager. Before you buy a house, you talk to a realtor. Before you enroll your child in a daycare or summer camp, you talk to the enrollment coordinator. Before you have surgery, you talk to a doctor. Before you get a divorce, you talk to a Virginia divorce attorney. Right? I mean, it makes sense. Still, … [Read more...]
What is it like to be a Virginia divorce lawyer?
This job (like most things in life) is full of moments that teach me things. Almost every day, I have a moment where I think, “Wow, that’s something I never thought of before!” I make note of it, and move on. It’s experiences like this that make me a better attorney. Usually, it’s just something that happens in passing; I see something in a letter or a draft of a separation agreement that another attorney has done that I admire, or I speak with a client and she presents an interesting wrinkle … [Read more...]
Am I being unrealistic in my Virginia divorce?
No two divorces are ever the same—though, obviously, there are some similarities. Still, women come into our office all the time asking for very different things. One tells us she doesn’t really care about anything, she just wants out. Others tell us, over and over, that they think they should receive astronomical levels of support and all of the retirement, plus full custody and total discretion over when (and if) visitation ever occurs. There are dangers at both ends of the spectrum, and … [Read more...]
Military Support Guidelines
A lot of people, military and civilians alike, are pretty unrealistic when it comes to post divorce spousal support. Though it’s certainly understandable (because, after all, if you’ve never been through a divorce before—and, sometimes, even if you have—how do you know what’s to be expected? All you probably are aware of is that the military has specific support guidelines, and that the Virginia statute says that a factor for determining whether and how much spousal support should be awarded is … [Read more...]
Can I fire my divorce attorney? Can my divorce attorney fire me?
As with most legal problems, when it comes to the question of firing your attorney (or, on the other hand, being fired by your attorney), there is both a short answer and a long answer. Today, we’re going to talk about hiring and firing, and what happens when this comes up in your own case. (Obviously, it’s not exactly the ideal scenario, but… More on this in a few moments.) Can I fire my attorney? The short answer is yes—you can both fire your attorney and be fired by your attorney, depending … [Read more...]
