Once you become a parent, whether as a mother or a father, something primal emerges. Mamas become terrifying tigers; Daddies become beastly bears. Nothing — no danger or insignificant official — will stand between parents and their children. Pitting Mom against Dad, then, is a bit like watching Muhammad Ali take on Joe Frazier in the ring. What kind of ...
Open communication is key to a good marriage. Communicating openly and privately with your family law attorney is key to a good separation and eventual divorce. Privacy Matters During Divorce When you buy your ticket on the emotional roller coaster that is separation and divorce, you need to change some of your behaviors. You are no longer partners with your ...
The phrase, “legal separation” is a Virginia myth on par with the Richmond Vampire. Like the Vampire, it seems never to die, it changes over time, and it has a tiny kernel of truth at its core. First of All, There’s No Such Thing Nothing in Virginia law enshrines “legal separation” as a concept. In Virginia, you are either: ...
Virginia’s legal system provides Guardians Ad Litem (GALs) in all cases involving children (and incapacitated adults). Most often, the GAL represents the child. Ideally, the GAL works as a professional by appointment of judges in Juvenile & Domestic Relations Courts, District Courts, and Circuit Courts. What happens when that ideal falls short? Working with a GAL A GAL is appointed ...
If you tell a group of people that today has a 50 percent chance of rain, a handful of them may actually think that means it’ll rain for half the day. That’s not how percentages work. Similarly, 50/50 custody may confuse some parents. Types of Custody Virginia’s family laws provide for a wide range of custody arrangements after separation and ...
A property settlement agreement or divorce settlement agreement is the final word in just about every facet of your divorce. The terms laid down in the agreement allow you and your ex-wife to stay in your lanes, avoid future court battles, and find a level of peace you may not have known in marriage. What if, though, she violates the ...
The Articles of Confederation, our nation’s first “constitution,” were badly flawed. Each state could have set up tolls and tariffs at its borders, so a sack of Virginia peanuts traveling to New York could have had an expensive and perilous journey. Today interstate laws provide for the smooth flow of goods and services between the states. That flow includes child ...
ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan. Since 1963, the U.S. Postal Service has assigned those five-digit numbers to areas to speed up mail delivery. If you know someone’s address, you can serve them divorce papers. That is one of seven ways to serve process. I Know Where You Live The law requires a person who is the subject of a ...
Ruffling is how birds raise their feathers for cleaning. They transform from sleek flying machines into puffy pincushions so they can preen away dirt, dust, and mites. Ruffle also means to annoy or fluster. You definitely do not want to ruffle your wife — in any sense of the word — when seeking a divorce. Minimize Ruffled Feathers Perhaps you ...