In Virginia, some parents have an interesting (if inaccurate) view of court documents. Apparently, they feel they are optional, as in, the parent can ignore the specific directions of a court. These same parents may feel "Shampoo, Rinse, Repeat" is a little bossy, or that advice not to look at solar eclipses is just fear-mongering. Imagine their surprise, then, to ...
The clothes wringer was invented in the 1880s by a woman, Ellen Elgin, and is still sold today. We mention it in passing because many of our clients feel as though their divorce has put them through the wringer, at least figuratively. After divorce, if you feel wrung out, twisted in knots, and a bit soggy, could counseling help? Counseling ...
You can be forgiven for thinking lawyers could write a 180-page handbook for using shampoo. Legal "briefs" tend to be anything but brief, and legal pads are deliberately three inches longer than regular pads because, well, words, words, words. So, when you examine a Virginia court's child support order, you may be surprised at how much is left out, considering ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The court of popular opinion often condemns where the law protects. Consider your neighborhood hoarder. Legally, hoarding can be a disability (disposophobia), but perhaps everyone avoids that neighbor. If you have a disability, ignore popular opinion and listen to your lawyer: you can gain custody of your children. Are You Under Guardianship? If you are disabled adult Virginia man, you may ...
A nation's children are its future. From that simple idea, we get laws that protect children above all, as in Virginia's "best interest of the child" laws found throughout Virginia Code. This precept crosses state boundaries, too, in the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). Orders for child support are, by virtue of this federal umbrella act that compelled all 50 ...
"Who does she think she is?" If you are asking that about your children's mother, she has probably said something truly daft, like trying to tell you where you and your child can live. We are here to test that idea. (Hint: she fails the test, except for one very peculiar situation). Can You Live Anywhere You Want? Only a ...