Family Law

Military Divorce FAQ: GI Bill Transfer & Divorce

The original G.I. Joe doll — sorry, action figure — came on the scene in 1964, and has been a hit ever since. G.I. Joe is immortal, but real GIs not only leave the service, they go on to other, great things, like college. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an enormously valuable asset earned through military service. The benefits from ...

By |August 2nd, 2017|

Everything You Should Know About Getting a Protective Order

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has a lodge in Virginia Beach, BPOE #2268, that tells you right up front, it “ain’t your Daddy’s lodge.” The Benevolent and Protective Order is a great support group, but not for the kind of protective order you may need if your angry ex-wife is threatening you with bodily harm. Virginia has three ...

By |July 31st, 2017|

My Wife Won’t Sign the Divorce Papers … What Can I Do?

Little children go through a biting stage. Frustrated, unable to wield words and angered that other humans are not complying, they bite. They bite other children; they bite caregivers and preschool teachers. It is a petulance and stubbornness most of us outgrow. When cornered by adult worries, though, we sometimes revert to very infantile choices, like refusing to sign divorce papers ...

By |July 28th, 2017|

Surrogacy Contracts & Divorce: How In The World Does It Work?

The intersection of medicine and law often lead to carts before horses, as when medicine has honed surrogate pregnancy to a nearly mundane thing, while Virginia’s laws creep to catch up. We noticed the D.C. Council recently lifted its 25-year ban on surrogacy contracts1, which made us consider the many ways surrogacy and divorce can become entwined. Surrogacy intersects divorce ...

By |July 26th, 2017|

Is it Legal for My Wife to Change the Locks on the House?

You faced a difficult decision to separate from your wife. You arranged your life so that, after you broke the news to her, you could quietly slip away, out of her life for six months to a year before filing for divorce. You retreated to a tiny, dingy motel room unreliably lit by a single bare bulb swaying from a ...

By |July 24th, 2017|

What are the Steps to Legally Adopt My Stepchild(ren)?

Gather round, children, and Ol’ Grandpa Jason will read to y’all from the Code of Virginia. Doesn’t that sound nice? What? You want to hear the story again of how your stepfather adopted the lot of ya? Well, sure! But don’t y’all be nodding off now, just before I get to the good part. Why a Step? The Origin of ...

By |July 21st, 2017|

The Ultimate Divorce Settlement Checklist

A property settlement agreement or separation agreement in a Virginia divorce is like the world’s weirdest grocery list. It will have a lot of details on it, in odd juxtaposition, and not a single item can be left out or you will certainly regret it later. In a moment of inspiration, we put together this convenient checklist while picking up ...

By |July 19th, 2017|

Who is Responsible for the Mortgage during a Separation?

In 1935 you could mortgage the Boardwalk for $200. The Monopoly property, not Virginia Beach’s. That $200 was the highest on the board, with classy Park Place coming in at only $175. (Poor Baltic Avenue; it was only worth $30.) If you seek a Virginia legal separation today, who covers the mortgage? And can you pay with Monopoly money? (Umm ...

By |July 14th, 2017|

How Can I Stop Wage Garnishment for Child Support?

Wage garnishment is unrelated to garnishes for food, though they come from the same word root. While you may love having parsley atop your mac n’ cheese from The Public House in Norfolk, you definitely will not love having your employer redirect a portion of your wages to the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE). If you owe, you ...

By |July 12th, 2017|
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