When a couple goes through a divorce, in most cases, their marital assets and marital debts must be divided between them. In Virginia, like many other states, marital assets and debts are divided according to the principle of equitable distribution.…
Many couples opt for collaborative divorce versus litigation to save money and reduce the stress that can arise in a traditional courtroom divorce. Sometimes, courts even require couples to try alternative dispute resolution options such as mediation prior to litigating…
There are many reasons why couples choose mediation over a traditional courtroom divorce. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that, like collaborative divorce, enables the couple to work together to reach their own divorce settlement instead of…
Mediation is a great alternative to a courtroom litigated divorce, but it is not the right choice for every couple. The very things that make mediation a good fit for some families, like the lack of court intervention and the…
I recently participated in a podcast with Debbie DeChambeau of Divorce Exposed where we talked about many topics related to divorce, working with a lawyer throughout the divorce process and much much more. It is a great read or listen…
We would like to congratulate Alex Xanttopoulos on becoming an AV PREEMINENT Rated Attorney. An elite group of approximately 10 percent of all attorneys holds an AVPreeminent Rating, a designation trusted worldwide by buyers and referrers of legal services. Only lawyers with the highest ethical…
When the court enters a child custody order, it does so according to what it determines to be in the child’s best interest at the time of the trial. The custody arrangement that is in the child’s best interest can…
People divorce for a variety of reasons. The reason why you divorce is personal; you are under no obligation to tell anybody, not even the court (if seeking a Virginia no-fault and/or uncontested divorce case), why you have chosen to…
You’ve sat down and had the “talk.” Your marriage is coming to an end. If you have children, the first thought that goes through your mind is “what about the kids?” Filing for a divorce can be a long, complicated,…
It is December 21, 2017. I write this before the House Bill becomes law. The house bill relating to spousal support and alimony likely initially benefits, then almost certainly harms, economically-dependent spouses in long-term marriages. Under current law, spousal support,…
