Children & Parenting

My Wife is Abusive. What Can I Do?

Virginia’s judicial system has no time for stereotypes. Women and men can both be abused. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts do not refer to “wife beating” or “wife abuse.” The phrase is “family abuse,” which is legally defined as “any act involving violence, force, or threat including any forceful detention, which results in physical injury or places one ...

By |October 26th, 2020|

Who Claims the Children on Taxes After Divorce?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) loves to give tests. There’s two phrases sure to head straight to your heart, and make it jump: IRS and tests. Publication 5041 includes a section called “Tests To Be A Qualifying Child.” Before you leap to that fascinating reading, though, be aware that the answer to the question, “Who Claims the Children on Taxes ...

By |October 12th, 2020|

What Happens to Student Loan Debt in Divorce?

If you owned a stock that climbed 33 percent in value from 2014 to 2019, you would rightfully think of yourself as the next Warren Buffet. That percentage, though, is the increase in the amount of student loan debt incurred in the United States in that five-year period, according to Investopedia1. If a sliver of that debt is in your ...

By |September 14th, 2020|

COVID-19 & Withholding Parenting Time

Parents protect their children. All mammals — otters, ocelots, wombats, numbats — worry over and coddle and defend their offspring. Instinct makes a Virginia parent especially sensitive to risk during a pandemic. Intentional or not, some Virginia custodial parents are withholding visitation and parenting time. What risk does that bring, and what is a better way? Let’s Focus on Science, ...

By |August 25th, 2020|

The Unforeseen Impact of COVID-19 on Women & Mothers

COVID-19 is terrifying a lot of Virginians, and rightly so. Some hunker down, adopting a bunker mentality that preserves the home as a virus-free safe zone. Some seek to escape, by packing the kids in the family car and heading off to surrounding states. Some seek to escape their marriage at the same time. COVID-19 Ground Conditions As of August ...

By |August 17th, 2020|

5-ish Surefire Ways to Sabotage Your Family Law Case

Dr. Phil is not a medical doctor or licensed psychologist. He has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Having said that, and acknowledging he is not any more qualified to offer psychology than your local bartender, he does speak plain truths to complicated people. Want to watch him skewer selfish parents dealing with divorce? You can watch the drama here, or ...

By |August 17th, 2020|

I’m Paying Child Support for Children Who Aren’t Mine

This article is not about money. We know, child support means money, but the root of this issue is paternity, not money. If you are paying child support for children who are not yours, you have a paternity problem that has created a money problem. Here is what you can do about both. Asserting Your Rights Without appearing to be ...

By |August 10th, 2020|

Can I Transfer My Child(ren) to Another School?

How well do you know Virginia geography? Name something unique and wonderful about Quantico. Sure, you could say the Marine Corps base, or the training academy of the FBI, but what is really wonderful is that three of Virginia's four best magnet schools are in Quantico, according to Public School Review. Transferring your child to another school while knee-deep in ...

By |July 20th, 2020|

How Does a Child from Another Relationship Affect Child Support?

What do Jason Mamoa, Terry Cruz, and Steven Spielberg have in common? They are all fathers in blended families. We need have no worries that their children and stepchildren are financially secure. But can we say the same for the typical Virginia blended family? How does a child from another relationship affect child support in Virginia? The Child’s Best Interests ...

By |July 6th, 2020|
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