Blog
It’s no one’s business how you spend your child support
I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but people LOVE to tell other people what to do and how to spend their money, and that definitely includes child support. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that a mom should have to account to dad for how the child support is spent each…
What happens in Virginia divorce court?
It’s intimidating to go to court. It’s intimidating to do anything, really, when the process and routines are unfamiliar to you, but it’s especially true when those processes result in splitting the assets and liabilities you’ve spent your adulthood accumulating, not to mention determining custody and visitation of your minor children. There’s a lot at…
If we don’t agree, can we still get a separation agreement?
Most people have a lot of questions about the divorce process – even if they understand the basics. After all, there’s a lot that is really fact specific, and it can be hard to apply a general principle to a specific situation. Even if you can sort of guess what the answer might be, you…
I have a terrible family law case, and I need pro bono help!
Facing a complicated legal issue is really scary, especially when you’ve started to do the research and you realize that it’s looking worse than you maybe even expected. Then, you check your bank account balance and, well, it looks even worse. We’ve talked before about how lawyers, or at least family lawyers, typically work on…
Can I move out of state while my divorce is processing?
Can I move out of state while my divorce is processing? We get lots of questions about moving, before, during, and after the divorce – and that makes sense, because it’s such a period of crazy transformation and change. It’s normal to make a series of big changes, from moving out of the marital residence,…
Pregnant and Expecting – a Virginia Divorce
Pregnancy can be wonderful, but it can also be really challenging – especially if you’re also starting to think that your marriage may not last past (or even up until) the birth. Expecting women are particularly vulnerable, especially if you’re currently unemployed, because childbirth is both personally and professionally complicated. Not only that, but caring…
Why don’t you just divorce him?
I’ve been guilty of it, too, in the past. I’ve asked a friend, who confided in me about the misery involved in her relationship, why she stays. Why she doesn’t just go, because doesn’t she know she deserves better? These days, I try not to. Because I know it won’t help. Because I know…
Negative and Positive Monetary and Non Monetary Contributions
In Equitable Distribution, the legal process through which we divide the assets and liabilities of a marriage between the parties, the court doesn’t automatically assume a 50/50 split. This is different than states that follow a Community Property model of division. In equitable distribution (or ED, as we sometimes call it), it’s almost like…