Temporary absences without the intent to separate permanently do not amount to desertion in Virginia. The court may view the trips to visit family and friends differently than leaving to go to an apartment or hotel when your spouse is home differently, however. Also, notifying other people that... View More

If your father wants to file for divorce, he can do so if he has been a Virginia resident for the past six months. When he files for divorce, if he doesn't know where your mother is, he will need to file an affidavit verifying that he doesn't know her address. He can then request that... View More

Have you notified the attorney that you did not consent to sharing this information? If not, you should do so and ask that he cease representing your husband. Or, you can ask your attorney to make this request for you. Your husband's lawyer should then withdraw from the case.

This type of confusion happens frequently after a hearing. Did you have an attorney? If so, please ask the attorney who has been representing you for clarity. Often someone has asked the judge when the order takes effect. If no date is specified, the usual default is that once a judge has made... View More

Generally speaking, a court will prefer that a child has high-quality insurance if the parents can afford it. For that reason, health insurance premium payments for children are taken into consideration when calculating child support.

You don't mention whether there is a court order... View More

Generally speaking, if there is no order requiring you to pay for the health care costs, then there is no obligation to do so. If the child's father seeks court assistance, he could get an order that requires payment of health care costs that are not reimbursed by an insurance plan. However,... View More

Generally speaking, an inheritance will remain someone's separate property in Virginia. However, the property may become marital under certain circumstances. Adding your name to the title may or may not be enough to make the property marital. It would depend on other details, like the way... View More

You can do that when you marry. (You could also do so in advance, but it's more work, costs more, and isn't necessary.)

As soon as you are married, the licensed marriage celebrant files the marriage certificate. You then request certified copies of the marriage certificate from... View More

It sounds like you should be able to enforce the original order and sue for the full amount of child support owed. If the court has not made any changes to the original order, then he will have to pay.

In order to fully answer your question, an attorney would need the specific details of... View More

Generally speaking, a house that has a mortgage on it can still be transferred upon the owner's death. Most people use a will or a trust to do this, but it does matter which type of trust is used. For example, if someone attempts to leave their house to another person and retitle it into the... View More

I am so sorry to hear that you are experiencing something like this. If you don't think you can talk to your mom, then please talk to a trusted adult or the school counselor right away about this. In Virginia, you can also call this hotline to report abuse: (800) 552-7096.

If your... View More

Generally speaking, you may be able to get a protective order for stalking, but the protective order would have to include your child to prevent her from being present during visitation.

If you don't have enough evidence for a protective order, you may be able to get an order that... View More

It's great that you are taking steps to be and stay sober, and the longer that continues, the better. Courts are looking out for children's best interests, and that means parents with problems need to take steps to address them. That may include individual counseling, drug treatment,... View More

Some courts have this information online, but you can also call the Circuit Court clerk's office for the Virginia city or county where the divorce was filed. That's usually where you and/or ex lives.

In some cases, you may request the clerk's office to issue a subpoena for you. The clerks cannot give you advice about how to request the subpoena, but many courts have forms available. A good place to start is the website of the court your legal matter is in. The Supreme Court of Virginia... View More

A court cannot grant you relief from an arrearage in child support. It is very important to make sure you making at least some contribution to the debt so you are not held in contempt of court. If your wages are being garnished, there are limits to the amount that can be withheld by law. An... View More

It sounds like you're in a difficult situation. However, not many attorneys would be interested in this type of arrangement. You may wish to contact some of the local agencies who provide pro bono or low-cost services for legal clients. Or, you might invite your spouse to mediation. You can... View More

You will need to find out whether this arrangement is permissible in Alabama. As her parents, under Virginia law, you are still responsible for her and required to support her financially. If she wishes to ask a court in Virginia for emancipation, she could do so if she meets the criteria. Then... View More

I understand your question to be whether you can authorize your new wife to access your children's information on your behalf. You can certainly add your wife as another person who can receive information or contact the school or doctor's office, for example, but the children's... View More