Estimated Reading Time: 7 min read

As a father, you may be lying awake at night wondering “Is the court going to be prejudiced against me, when it comes to the custody of my kids, because I am a man?”

The answer is “no.

Here are the step-by-step instructions you need to know to modify your child support post-divorce in Virginia.

Estimated Reading Time: 1 min read

When parents get divorced, kids don’t count the days or hours in the custody schedule. Instead, they often worry about all of kinds of things most adults never even consider. For example:

Who will kiss my pet turtle goodnight when I am at Dad’s house?
How will Santa know where I am sleeping on Christmas?
Can I paint my new bedroom any color I want?

Once your children have their “logistical and technical” questions answered, what they really want, when their parents get divorced, is this:

Kids want to feel unconditional love from both parents.

Estimated Reading Time: 7min 59sec

When making custody determinations, judges and child experts usually prefer a shared parenting arrangement over a sole parenting arrangement. "Two is better than one", is the prevailing philosophy. Whether you agree that this is best for your child or not, you need to be ready for the key players and decision-makers in your divorce (the judge, expert witnesses, and your spouse's attorney) to be leaning toward this type of arrangement.

Estimated Reading Time: 6min 59sec

No one has it easy as a marriage comes to an end.  But things become even more complicated – and the potential for immense emotional pain only grows – when a child is involved.

Our legal system has set up standards that remove the emotion from custody decisions.

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: 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: 2 Minutes 20 seconds
Parenting is a one-shot deal. And when it comes to divorce or separation, it is rarely going to be a super positive event for your children. There are always opportunities to make the best of things, though, and that will be your job throughout the process.

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes 40 seconds
When families break apart in a divorce, many parents do not know where to turn to get help.  Divorce lawyer?  Divorce mediator?  What is best when it comes to planning for children when their parents are getting a divorce? Here is some information to help you choose what route to take:

Parents must decide whether they want the fate of their children’s upbringing to be made within the family unit (by mom and dad) or by a judge.

2 min 50 sec read
Torn between mediation vs litigation? If you are considering divorce, and children are involved, mediation is usually the best dispute resolution alternative for your family. This is especially true if you are the parent who thinks he or she may end up as the non-residential parent (non-primary custodian). 

As a non-residential parent, your odds of building a strong and long-lasting relationship with your children -- by being a part of their lives while they are growing up --  is much greater if you opt for mediation over litigation.