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One thing that you always wanted was to become a grandparent. You had a wonderful time with your children, and when you found out that your older son was becoming a father, you were thrilled. Recently, he talked to you about seeking a divorce. He didn’t want to be with his child’s mother any longer, but you didn’t know how that was going to affect his custody case. After going through it all, he ended...

Your divorce isn’t contested, which is great. It means you can move through the process a little bit easier. However, something that you will want to get written up is your property settlement agreement. This contract outlines your responsibilities and rights so that the court can step in if one of you does not do as you agreed. When you hear the term “property settlement agreement,” you might be thinking about assets and debts. Interestingly,...

Have you heard that gray divorce rates have been rising? It’s true. When you go back to the 1990s, you can see a clear rise in the divorce rate for the over-50 age group. If you ask people why this happens, they give you a variety of potential reasons. One common theory is that the empty nest — when the kids are all out of the house — makes people less content, and they want...

People who are going through a divorce are usually focused on the primary assets, such as the marital home. They might not think about some of the other assets that must be divided. These include things like the household appliances, special collections and similar assets. People who have retirement accounts or a family business will have to determine how to handle those, which can be complex undertakings. Deciding what you’re going to do with a...

You and your spouse know everything you want to do with your divorce. You both believe that you can work out any minor disagreements yourselves, and neither one of you wants to drag things out longer than is necessary. An uncontested divorce is simply a divorce that neither party is contesting, and it’s what you may be interested in filing if you and your spouse agree on how you want to separate. To go through...

You and your ex-spouse both love your kids. Even if you and they no longer love each other, you have the kids in common — and that’s worth making co-parenting work. Here are some co-parenting tips for beginners: 1. Find a safe place to vent. There are going to be times when your ex-spouse still aggravates you, no matter how polite you’re both trying to be. You may also still have some old emotional wounds...

In Fairfax and across Virginia, drug charges are generally perceived to be related to illegal substances, like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other scheduled narcotics. Street dealers, distributors and traffickers are common targets of police investigations. While legal violations related to these drugs will lead to an arrest, people who are trusted with the right to give prescriptions can also face drug charges. Medical professionals who are accused of illegal behavior with prescription drugs must remember...

One of the things parties may fail to consider when going through a divorce are tax ramifications. Once a divorce is finalized, the next tax filing period will look a lot different. First, you must remember to change your withholdings with your employer. You will now claim single rather than married. If children are involved, your dependents may also need to be changed depending on your custody agreement. This is a very important step, as...

When the courts set the final terms for child custody and support in your divorce, they issue a final decree in the form of a court order. Many people view these documents as legally binding and permanent, but that isn’t always the case. While any court order is legally binding and requires compliance from its subjects, it is possible to change court orders if the circumstances in your life also change. The child support that...

Property division during divorce can feel overwhelming which is why it is important for divorcing couples to keep in mind that the family law process provides legal resources to help guide them through the process of dividing their property. In some circumstances, divorcing couples are dividing a lifetime of property they have acquired together so understanding basic property division principles can help guide them through the property division process. It is always helpful for divorcing...