Articles & Blog

VIDEO: In this video, I share 7 situations that usually spell the end of your marriage.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 min read

Virginia Code

Virginia statutory law speaks generally of the criteria that a judge must consider when deciding an alimony case. However, the listed criteria give almost no guidance to the courts when making a determination as to “how much” spousal support is to be paid and “for how long” spousal support should last.

Estimated Reading Time: 2 min 53 sec There is no easy way to tell your children about divorce. Fortunately, there are some very good tips to help you and your spouse come up with the best way to break the news. When preparing to have that talk, consider the following: (1) Parents need to be together when the children are told about the divorce.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 min read

Months of quarantine under the current stay-at-home orders will test the strongest of relationships—some people may even consider getting the virus a more appealing alternative. Even people who have wonderful marriages are concerned their spouses may drive them crazy by the end of it.

VIDEO: In this video, I tell you what divorce costs if you go the attorney route versus hiring a mediator. I also provide tips to keep your costs down.

VIDEO: In this video, I provide everything you need to know about child-related tax benefits and how they are split up between divorced parents.

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes 20 seconds In a Virginia Divorce, Judges Only Divide Marital Assets Acquired Before Separation In a Virginia divorce, you must live separate and apart for either 12 months (with kids) or 6 months (without kids) in order to file a no- fault divorce.

Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes 30 seconds Dividing and distributing assets in a Virginia divorce is a four-step process: Identify and determine ownership of the asset; Determine the value of the asset; Classify the asset (does it belong to the marriage or to an individual spouse); and Reach mutual agreement on how the asset will be divided using the law as a guideline, being mindful of tax implications, and assessing fairness considering a variety of factors, both financial and non-financial.

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes 20 seconds In a Virginia Divorce, Judges Only Divide Marital Assets Acquired Before Separation In a Virginia divorce, judges have the power to divide and distribute assets and debts that were acquired during the marriage, known as “marital property” (a legal classification). The term “during the marriage” is defined as beginning at the date of the couple’s marriage and ending at their date of separation (not the date of divorce, as most people believe). Judges, in a Virginia divorce, do not have the power to divide and distribute assets and debts which were not acquired during the marriage, known as “separate property” (a legal classification). The term “separate property” includes assets and debts acquired prior to the marriage, after the parties’ date of separation, and acquired by inheritance or gift.

Estimated Reading Time: 2 min 30 sec  There is no guarantee of alimony in a Virginia divorce. There are rules of thumb — but no hard and fast laws. Attorneys in Virginia accurately refer to alimony (also called spousal support) as the “Wild West.