Divorce

Informing your parents you are getting a divorce may not be a discussion you thought you would have with them after getting married. Nonetheless, if you decide that dissolving your marriage is in your best interest, they should know. While you want your parents to...

When getting divorced, most assets can be sorted into two main categories: Separate assets and marital assets. If something is a separate asset, then it is not subject to property division. If it’s a marital asset and both people own it, then it does go through...

When you file for divorce, you serve your spouse with the divorce papers. This is also known as a divorce petition. It informs them of your intention to end the marriage. They have to respond to this petition before the court can set up hearings or take other steps to...

Researchers have spent decades studying the reasons why divorces happen and what types of factors make them more likely. One thing that they have found is that there’s a consistent link between job loss and divorce. When someone loses their job, whether they get fired...

Depending upon where you live, a broken engagement may or may not require your intended to return their engagement ring upon demand. It all depends on whether state law considers the ring to be a conditional gift or not. What happens, however, to a family heirloom...

You may have heard of parents waiting until their children go to college before dissolving their marriage. Does this mean there is a better or worse time for parents to divorce if they have minor children? And, if your marriage is in trouble, should you wait for your...

Getting a divorce is a huge decision at any time of year. The stakes become even higher when children are involved.  Studies indicate that there’s often a spike in divorce filings in January. In fact, January has been labeled as “divorce month”.   Why do so many leave...

If you’re getting divorced, you may need to decide what to do with a home that you and your spouse bought during your marriage. From a financial perspective, it may be the most valuable and important asset you own. From an emotional and sentimental perspective, you...

Because of no-fault divorce laws, contested divorce does not mean that the outcome may result in the couple staying married. They’re not debating whether or not they should get divorced, nor is the judge determining if they will allow the couple to end their marriage....

"Gray divorce" refers to divorces occurring among long-married couples who are aged 50 or older. While gray divorces happen for all kinds of reasons, the one thing that they typically all have in common is complicated financial circumstances. In Virginia, marital...