The short answer to this question is “no”. In Virginia, people remain married until a court enters a divorce decree. To get a divorce in Virginia, a couple ordinarily must separate for 1 year. There are exceptions to this waiting period. While important, this...
If you are a victim of domestic violence, you have a right to pursue a protective order in Virginia, also known as a restraining order. A protective order is issued by a court to protect you from the person who is abusing, harassing or threatening you. The order may...
Spousal support is meant to provide financial assistance to the lesser-earning spouse and can be temporary or permanent. When deciding whether to award spousal support, how much it should be, and how long the order should last, a court must review numerous factors....
If you and your spouse decide to divorce, it can be difficult, but you also likely expect that they will honestly disclose their assets so they can be divided between both of you. A hidden asset is one your spouse intentionally conceals or does not disclose during the...
Divorce is difficult at any age and income status, but for older people in Virginia who have worked their whole lives to achieve a certain level of wealth, there are specific concerns that must be addressed. This has become more worrisome with the statistical increase...
In Virginia divorces, spousal support is often a contested issue. For people who have substantial assets, it is a primary concern for both sides – the person who will be paying and the one receiving the support. Simply because they were fortunate enough to have...
If you are facing a high asset divorce in Virginia, you are probably laser-focused on one particular legal issue: property and debt division. The amount and complexity of assets in these types of divorce cases can bog down efforts to reach a resolution in the case,...
Like other states, Virginia has child support guidelines that the courts in this state use as a starting point for issuing support orders. The idea behind these child support guidelines is to make sure that courts are issuing orders that are consistent and fair to all...
Many divorce cases in Virginia must progress on a step-by-step basis, addressing individual legal issues one at a time. Alimony, child support, child custody and property and debt division are issues that can each bring their own challenges to a case. And, the level...
One of the most complicated aspects of divorce is determining what will happen to the children. Both parents naturally want to protect their kids and spend as much time as possible with them, but there is evidence to suggest that children tend to do better when...