Teachers often use teaching methods their own teachers used on them, sports coaches rely on outdated training from their own performance years, and parents discipline their children using techniques their parents used on them. Your wife may have been raised in a talk-it-out home while you suffered with The Paddle. What can you two do so you present a united ...
Virginia’s laws are full of odd expressions: in loco parentis; legitimate interest; confirmatory adoption. Sure, they all mean something to someone, but most Virginians can live their entire lives without ever stumbling into these words. Unless you are a stepfather or a nice guy trying to do right by a woman you love by acting like a father to her ...
The Cannabis Control Authority1 sounds like a sci-fi title, but it is a real Virginia agency, courtesy of the General Assembly and then-governor Northam. Since July 1, 2021, every Virginian has had the right to grow up to four marijuana plants2 and possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The law also hastens expungements of past pot convictions. How does ...
In Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” a lowly shepherd discovers an abandoned baby. He says, “Mercy on ’s, a bairn! A very pretty bairn. A boy or a child, I wonder?” And the audience laughs, because “boy or child” sounds like an actor forgetting his lines. But in 16th century England, a “child” was a girl. And today, in Virginia, an ...
You (or your ex) are a convicted felon. You (or your ex) want custody of your child. What are the chances? Crimes Involving Morals and Decency If you or your ex have been convicted of any of 17 different sex offenses in Virginia, you operate under a different set of rules from the average parent. Virginia Code § 18.2-370.2 specifically ...
Mantras are not what most people think. Westerners tend to oversimplify rituals and philosophies to suit their own needs; mantras are no exception. A mantra is not a slogan to haul out when you are stressed. Yet many a divorced or divorcing (or simply splitting) dad could benefit from learning five guiding words to regain his calm when co-parenting seems ...
The scientific debate has raged among anthropologists for decades: why are human babies born helpless? Pelvic size, maternal metabolism, the size of Junior’s noggin — all have been offered as reasons why those tiny humans cannot walk, feed themselves, or sit upright. No other mammal is born so dependent on its parents. A newborn baby arriving after a divorce adds ...
What’s your favorite color? If you’re like most people, it’s blue. That is not likely to be the kind of question a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (JDRDC) judge will ask during a child custody hearing. Here’s what she or he will ask. How Common is it for a Judge to Interview a Child for a Custody Case? When ...
Virginia offers separating and divorcing parents several options with child custody. The law reads, “The court shall consider and may award joint legal, joint physical, or sole custody, and there shall be no presumption in favor of any form of custody.” One option is 50/50 physical custody, under which both parents enjoy their children half the time. But child custody ...