Date Of Separation – Effect on Property Distribution – Virginia

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.

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What Makes Divorce Mediation Work?

Estimated Reading Time: 1 Minute 40 seconds
Mediation is a confidential settlement process in which a trained, neutral settlement expert — the “mediator” — facilitates communication between the parties. Without deciding the issues or imposing a solution on the parties, the mediator enables them to better understand each other’s positions and to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to their disputes.