When parents in Virginia get a divorce, their children may struggle to adjust. However, parents can take steps to make the process less difficult. They should avoid engaging in conflict in front of their children, and they should try to change their routines as little as possible. They should keep children in the same school if they can and should try to agree on a set of expectations that will be similar in both their homes. Children may lose touch with cousins and other extended family members on one side during a divorce, so parents should encourage these relationships.
What happens to your frozen embryos during a divorce?
More American couples are turning to in vitro fertilization (IVF) to get pregnant. Research suggests around 5 percent of American couples will try IVF to have a baby this year. However, some of these couples will have to face a tough decision about what to do with their frozen embryos if their marriage ends in divorce.
Kinship Care Not Custody: Alternative to Sharing Custody with a Non-Parent.
Raising a child is challenging. Parents must devote significant time and attention to caring for their children. A job loss, serving time in jail, an injury, or an addiction can impact a parent's ability to care for their child. Grandparents or other well-intentioned family members or friends might offer to help care for a child. However, they'll probably ask to have some legal authority to make school or medical decisions. They may ask for formal custody or to share custody with you while they care for a child.
Child support and custody for divorced and unmarried fathers
Some Virginia fathers may face obstacles in getting custody or visitation rights to their children. If they fall far enough behind in child support, for example, they could go to jail. They could also lose visitation rights if the other parent files for and receives a protective order which includes the child. The father's ability to see his child could be impacted for the duration of the protective order. Courts are not supposed to favor mothers over fathers, but mothers make up more than 80 percent of custodial parents.
Good reasons to have a prenuptial agreement
Virginia residents may assume that prenuptial agreements are only necessary for the rich and famous. However, they can be beneficial for almost anyone who is about to get married. For instance, if one helps to pay a spouse's student loans, a prenuptial agreement could determine if repayment will be required following divorce.
There may be reasons for temporary child custody orders
The best interest of the child is always the overriding standard that Virginia law judges apply when dealing with children of divorcing parents. In most cases, child custody orders are issued as part of the court's final orders upon the dissolution of the marriage. In some cases, however, such as where there is a prolonged legal separation prior to the divorce's finalization, temporary child custody orders may be issued.
