There is no legal agreement in-place. I need to move on and found a house to buy. This would force our current house to go to market and force both of us to find alternate living. She is currently just staying because she is comfortable with me being out of site. Is it a bad legal move to move on... View More
answered on Mar 2, 2023
In the absence of legal justification, any spouse who leaves the marital residence with the intention to separate permanently risks having the other spouse claim the fault ground of desertion and abandonment in a divorce case. Most divorce lawyers will advise a client not to leave the marital... View More
Auto has a few thousand dollars in equity which I think is exempt. I recall there being an issue with both types of loans with the same lender. If so, is it a state law specific to Virginia?
answered on Feb 15, 2023
It depends on the type of lender. Credit unions have greater rights than banks. Most credit unions have a cross-collateralization clause in their loan agreements. That makes any debt owed the credit union secured by collateral given on any other debt, so the credit union may not release the... View More
answered on Feb 13, 2023
An e-mail may be admissible in evidence if a party can establish a hearsay exception and authenticate the communication. Hearsay is an out-of-court statement a party wants to introduce into evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted. If made by a party, an e-mail may qualify as a party... View More
answered on Feb 6, 2023
Depending on the circumstances, a divorce is typically filed in either the state where the defendant resides, or the state where the plaintiff (filer) resides. The place of marriage is irrelevant.
Due process requires notice and an opportunity to be heard. Further, if property rights,... View More
My 15 year old no longer wants to visit every other week related to various changes at the home and her feeling like she’s never heard. What’s my best next move?
Can a show cause be enforced against me since there is no concrete schedule in place?
answered on Feb 6, 2023
That reads just like the kind of agreement reached in mediation - it is vague enough that both parties can interpret it to their own satisfaction. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to enforce it. Far better is to have a fixed schedule from which the parties can deviate if they so... View More
answered on Jan 17, 2023
A divorce is initiated by the filing of a Complaint in the appropriate Virginia Circuit Court. A divorce based on fault must include the basic elements of the fault ground that the Plaintiff will rely on, in numbered paragraphs in the Complaint. A party or counsel signing a pleading, such as a... View More
answered on Jan 12, 2023
Spouses can enter into enforceable separation agreements in Virginia. The agreement must be in writing and signed by both spouses, or recited in front of a court reporter. A separation agreement is not a requirement for a divorce in Virginia, although it allows a no fault divorce based on a six... View More
If my spouse files for divorce in Virginia but I am about to move to another state, am I able to handle my part in the divorce from that other state. Would I hire a lawyer in Virginia? Would I have to physically appear in court or could my lawyer appear for me? What happens if I cannot afford to... View More
answered on Dec 24, 2022
Divorces easily fall into one of two categories: contested and uncontested. An uncontested divorce typically proceeds as a no fault divorce based on a signed written separation agreement between the spouses. All the incidents and consequences of the marriage have been addressed: spousal support;... View More
I was contacted by a law group saying I owed on an old credit card debt. They're saying the last time they tried to contact me was 2016 from a card I obtained before 2010. It was a JCPenny store card. They're threatening garnishment. I paid off all my debts before I purchased my home in... View More
answered on Dec 9, 2022
Credit card lawsuits typically involve two different jurisdictions - the issuer's home state and the borrower's home state, and the shorter of the two may apply in Virginia. In Virginia Code Section 8.01- 232, there are three conditions on the enforceability of a waiver of the right to... View More
I have sole custody and her father has a visitation order. She is 14 and we live in the state of Virginia.
answered on Nov 22, 2022
Unjustifiably withholding visitation can result in a change of primary physical custody of a child. A custodial parent must do everything within his or her power and authority to allow visitation to occur, absent some credible evidence of family abuse which would justify a modification of a... View More
answered on Nov 21, 2022
A will may be modfied with a codicil. Most attorney advise against the use of a codicil for various reasons. As it requires the same formalities as a will, the testator is often better off by simply writing a new will.
A trust may be modified in accordance with its terms, or, in certain... View More
My fiancees son never received disability as a child and applied on his own and got it and is his own guardian and moved out of his mother's house and they still want him to pay her child support.
answered on Nov 20, 2022
Under Virginia Code Section 16.1-278.15, child support may be ordered to continue for an adult child in the following circumstances:
"...The court may also order that support be paid or continue to be paid for any child over the age of 18 who is (a) severely and permanently mentally or... View More
I know in VA, a legal separation agreement is not always (or ever?) necessary. But we are separating under the same roof which I realize complicates things. We started this beginning of August, and have done everything on the "separation list" that we found in our research (separate... View More
answered on Nov 17, 2022
While the Virginia Court of Appeals has decided that it is possible for spouses to live separate and apart under the same roof, not all Circuit Court judges readily accept that idea. The idea is more popular in certain areas of the state, such as Northern Virginia, where the costs of housing is... View More
Voluntary dismissal after 2+ years in plan. Tried to restablish payment plan for auto loan. They claim I fell further behind after I filed because they didn't receive timely plan payments from the trustee and charged it off. Now they are threatening repossession and say I am 9 months more... View More
answered on Nov 14, 2022
An important issue in chapter 13 cases is whether to pay the vehicle loan directly outside the plan as a long-term debt, or in the plan by the trustee as a secured claim. The downside of putting it in the plan is an early dismissal produces an immediate default. Unless you are cramming down the... View More
I reside in Virginia which my son was born. My mother has been watching over him for me while I work to get my house together. She goes & files for emergency guardianship which she claims was granted in Delaware without my knowledge or consent
answered on Nov 14, 2022
The jurisdiction over, or power to decide, interstate custody and visitation disputes is based on the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act, UCCJEA, a uniform law adopted in almost all the states. The purpose of the UCCJEA is to require a connection between the residence of the child... View More
I have real evidence that I can take to the magistrate and get him arrested for assault. If I was granted a EPO also and possession of the home, which h one of us gets to stay there? Is it the one who was granted it first?
answered on Nov 11, 2022
A protective order may be issued in three successive steps, each with greater due process protections for the accused. To protect against an immediate harm, a emergency protective order can be issued ex parte by the magistrate or general district court judge on a sworn statement or affidavit,... View More
My husband called the police on me and lied and said I covered his mouth and nose and slammed his head into the wall.
He was granted a epo because my son went along with it. Now my son feels bad he lied for his Dad. He thought I was just going to have to leave the house and that would stop... View More
answered on Nov 11, 2022
A protective order may be issued in three successive steps, each with greater due process protections for the accused. To protect against an immediate harm, a emergency protective order can be issued ex parte by the magistrate or general district court judge on a sworn statement or affidavit,... View More
I have been separated for 3 years. Extended due to pandemic and custody.
I moved back in August. Does that have any effect on the proceeding if one of us wants to reset everything?
answered on Nov 10, 2022
The separation required for a no fault divorce in Virginia must be continuous and uninterrupted. The legally-required separation means the parties are no longer living together as husband and wife. At least one of the parties must intend that the separation is permanent, and that intention must... View More
My sister sold his house in Chicago and moved him to Virginia three months before he passed away. I checked the Prince William County Probate office and a Will has not been filed. What Kind of attorney should I look for? I need an Virginia attorney.
answered on Nov 3, 2022
Attorneys who help people with property of an estate of a decedent, typically identify themselves by one or more of the following practice areas: probate, estate administration, elder law, or wills and estate planning. Usually, the last residence of the decedent is the proper place or... View More
answered on Oct 23, 2022
Fiduciaries in Virginia must file accountings and reports with the Commissioner of Accounts for the city or county involved. If a foreclosure auction results in a surplus of proceeds, most substitute trustees would file an interpleader action in the Circuit Court and name all interested parties as... View More
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