Blended families, nuclear families, step families, grandparent families and single parent families. Today's social structures would largely be unrecognizable to past generations. When your ex-wife sets out on her own (probably with considerable financial support from you), she starts a new variation on your original family structure. If that new variation includes a new man, you may worry about the second ...
The mother of your children may have left your life, but you are committed to keeping the relationship with your own kids healthy. Unfortunately, the guy your ex-wife or ex-partner is now seeing is, well, a creeper. He unsettles you, says inappropriate things, and makes a point of displaying his control of your ex. Worse, he sends out the wrong ...
Let's play a game. Over here, we have an expensive and drawn out process that will disrupt your life and your finances. But, behind that curtain, we have something that will cost significantly less, be much less stressful, and likely be over and done much more quickly. Which do you choose? If you went for what's behind the curtain, you ...
Few adults enjoy ceding power they once wielded with gusto. For Virginia Moms and Dads, giving up decision-making power over your own children is one of the worst aspects of child custody and visitation. This is why, for many Virginia fathers, "reasonable visitation" is a welcome concept. Though (like most legal tangles) it is not without flaws, reasonable visitation returns ...
You two began married life in complete agreement. Then you discovered she liked the Red Sox, and you were a Braves fan. No big deal, but then more and more disagreements emerged. Major issues; enormous emotional pain. After all the boundless suffering and bonds sundered, you finally agree on only one more thing: you need to divorce. How can you ...
You enter the Virginia Beach law office tentatively, nervous and unsure of what to expect. You shake a hand; you sit down, you spill your guts. The person you hope will become your lawyer listens, takes some notes, and explains the process. You feel better, but as you leave, you wonder, what is the divorce lawyer going to do to ...
Nobody can pass a tax law without creating victims and victors. The changes to our tax code brought about by the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) highlight this. Gone will be the deductions for spousal support payments by the payor (in Virginia, usually the man), and the recipients (in Virginia, usually the woman) will not have to declare ...
The Tall Texan, Billy Walker, crooned a major hit in 1964 called “Circumstances,” with this soppy, sweetly sad little lyric: “O! But the dreams this foolish heart romances, When two blue people were the victim of circumstances.” Though Walker was not a Virginian (the shame!), many a Virginia Dad has felt the hard heartache of changing circumstances affecting child custody. Endangering ...
Trigger warning: this post will involve emotions. Some dads are a little shy about dealing with emotions. It’s one thing to scream and chest pound over a touchdown with your buddies; it’s another thing to shed a tear because your six-year-old daughter pirouetted in her dance recital. Many of the best television commercials about fatherhood and being a real dad ...