Representing yourself in court is almost always a bad idea, as Eric Saub found while acting as his own attorney.1 Saub ignored a judge's advice to accept free legal counsel, instead dismissing his attorney and handling his legal matters himself. At his murder trial. He was found guilty of the Isle of Wight County, Virginia murder and sentenced to 33 ...
Kevin Walter, Virginia turkey hunter, most definitely did not have custody of the charging bobcat1. The word "custody" means "immediate charge and control exercised by a person or an authority." While the bobcat may have charged, and while Kevin was clearly not in control, a bobcat is not an animal anyone wants to take into custody. Your children, though, are another ...
Technology is a marvelous thing. Some cities, for example, have an "online do-it-yourself" divorce program rooted in artificial intelligence. That's great, if you can get past all the questions that "screen out users with procedurally complicated situations;" and "screen out contested cases and those cases involving the potential, unintentional loss of rights." The courts recognize that some divorces are trickier ...
You don't usually think of children as property, but in a strange legal sense, they are. If you and your wife have children, you have a legal right to see, be with, and enjoy the company of your children. That simple legal fact means your wife cannot legally deprive you of them by taking them from you. Your children also ...
Congratulations, really, on your effortless, stress-free divorce. No surprises, everything went according to plan. All the loose ends are neatly tied up and you can get on with your life. What? That does not sound like the typical divorce? Of course it isn't — no divorce is "typical," and no divorce ends with all the pretty bows tied. Your divorce lawyer ...
Parents have exactly one legal requirement regarding public education: compulsory attendance, under Virginia Code § 22.1-254. What does that mean? Parents must send their children to school1. Just about anything beyond that is good parenting but not legally binding. How much information you provide your children's teachers is up to you, but consider why, in the case of separation, more information is ...
Military satellites are spangled above our skies by the thousands, yet the Coast Guard and Navy still use Morse Code to send signals by lamp. Keeping multiple lines of communication open is essential not only to the military, but to your life after divorce. Using the Right Communication Channels Your ex-wife may not be amenable to clear communication, but she may ...
Virginia does not have rigid guidelines for spousal support the way it does for child support. The laws are written to provide a judge wide discretion in deciding, first, who pays whom and, second, how much is paid. Spousal Support Laws The Code of Virginia includes a section, § 20-107.1, that outlines how a Circuit Court judge may decide spousal support. ...
The second-highest stressor in an adult's life, according to the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory, is divorce. We have heard this news all around us, in social media, news pipelines, and from neighbors: stress kills. Virginia men are strong, no doubt, but stress from divorce can seriously affect your mental and physical well-being. Here's how to stay focused, healthy and happy through ...