Guardians ad litem in Virginia seem to hold great sway over family law cases. Perhaps you are concerned about a court-ordered investigation and report issued by a guardian ad litem (GAL) and you wonder, can you do anything about it? What’s a GAL? A guardian ad litem (GAL) is a court-appointed legal representative whose client is your child. In any ...
Custodial parents in Virginia truly represent the original meaning and heart of the word, “custody.” Starting around the 15th century, the word meant “guarding, watching, keeping.” That’s what custodial parents do, though the term makes the non-custodial parent sound like a freeloading oaf. We know you’re not. But what rights do you have as the non-custodial parent? Can you sign ...
You’re nothing special. Sounds harsh, right? Well, for a sliver of Virginia’s men, that’s actually good news. If you’re an alcoholic, you might think you are a rare misfire, a faulty launch. You are neither, since roughly 5.9 percent of Virginians and U.S. adults said they were “heavy drinkers,” according to the 2017 State of Virginia Epidemiological Profile: Alcohol (the ...
Wanna put an unpleasant divorce behind you? Consider moving to Tristan Da Cunha, in the calm and lovely brutally harsh South Atlantic Ocean! Tristan Da Cunha, the most remote place on earth, is 1,750 miles from South Africa. It’s as good a place as any to move if you hope to transfer your child out of school to a spot ...
Once you become a parent, whether as a mother or a father, something primal emerges. Mamas become terrifying tigers; Daddies become beastly bears. Nothing — no danger or insignificant official — will stand between parents and their children. Pitting Mom against Dad, then, is a bit like watching Muhammad Ali take on Joe Frazier in the ring. What kind of ...
Virginia’s legal system provides Guardians Ad Litem (GALs) in all cases involving children (and incapacitated adults). Most often, the GAL represents the child. Ideally, the GAL works as a professional by appointment of judges in Juvenile & Domestic Relations Courts, District Courts, and Circuit Courts. What happens when that ideal falls short? Working with a GAL A GAL is appointed ...
In July of 2021, an astounding $15 billion went out to the parents of 60 million American children through the Advance Child Tax Credit. The individual amounts are helpful: up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month for each child ages 6 through 17. But what if you got a check ...
If you tell a group of people that today has a 50 percent chance of rain, a handful of them may actually think that means it’ll rain for half the day. That’s not how percentages work. Similarly, 50/50 custody may confuse some parents. Types of Custody Virginia’s family laws provide for a wide range of custody arrangements after separation and ...
One of the best ways, when working through separation and divorce, to support your children and maintain those all-important family bonds is through open decision-making and clear communication. Whether that means joint physical custody or shared legal custody, or even sole physical custody with thorough, informal discussions, both parents must agree to work in the best interests of the child, ...