News that Bill and Melinda Gates were calling it quits after 27 years together came as a shock to some people. They have had a very fruitful marriage that included a lot of charity work and three children. They issued a statement that they would continue their work...
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Family Law
Is it a good strategy to fight for sole custody during a divorce?
Divorce often becomes ugly and contentious, with former spouses doing everything they can think of to punish or upset one another. All too often, the children can become a weapon that one parent uses against the other in divorce proceedings. If you think your ex is...
How is child support decided?
Divorce often means the split of a family with children. While any divorce is complicated, it is even more so when kids are involved. Calculating child support sounds like a feat, but we can break it down into a few manageable categories. The income of the parents...
What happens if parents fail to pay child support?
A critical part of raising a child is to support them and their needs, both emotionally and financially. Even if a child's parents are not married, the responsibility to financially support the child often remains. Virginia family courts generally order the...
When can you modify your child support payments?
When parents get a divorce, one parent will almost always have to pay child support – even if they share joint custody. After all, in Virginia, children are entitled to access the same amount of financial support they would receive if the family still lived in...
Kids might need extra help to adjust to a newly blended family
Nowadays, blended families seem to be the norm. Statistics show that 16% of children live in a blended family. This could be the result of their parents remarrying after a divorce, as well as parents having children from a previous relationship. Finding love with a...
What is a “divorce from bed and board?”
There are many ways to pursue a divorce, from negotiating in alternative dispute resolution or taking matters to court. Regardless of the process individuals choose, many people believe there is still only one kind of divorce–an absolute divorce that legally ends a...
What to do when your spouse doesn’t want a divorce
Spouses who choose to mediate their divorce usually agree to compromise and negotiate throughout the process. However, not even the couples who pursue mediation agree to divorce right away. It is a common situation. One spouse asks for a divorce, and the other is...
Paying for a child’s tuition: What divorced parents need to know
Sending kids off to college can be an emotional ordeal. After all, nowadays, college is considered one of the first steps towards adulthood. However, college can also be as expensive as it is emotional. The expenses vary by the type of college students choose. But...
When should we consider legal separation?
The Hollywood couple Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman have been separated for nearly two years now. However, Perlman reports that she will never divorce DeVito. She told the New York Post and People that the couple still loves each other, remains close and agrees on...