If spouses are not able to reach an agreement on how to divide their property and debts, those matters can be submitted to a judge's decision through the process of equitable distribution incident to a divorce case.

Title is not determinative in equitable distribution in Virginia.... View More

See a real estate lawyer, show the PSA and title and loan documents. Then, the lawyer can outline your options and how to proceed.

Not a legal advice nor any attorney-client relationship.

Hearing dates in Virginia are arranged with the judge's secretary, not the clerk of the court. A party can request, or a file a motion for, a pretrial conference to bring a case in front of a judge in order to set a trial date. The actual hearing date for the pretrial conference would most... View More

If there would be any fines, you might be able to find out if you ask your question at Justia > Ask a Lawyer > Virginia > Divorce. It's a matter of Virginia law, not Florida law. If you do, you might want to clarify what you mean by "... Ex-spouse received fraudulent spousal... View More

A Virginia resident can file for a divorce from bed and board immediately, based on either abandonment and desertion or cruelty and reasonable apprehension of bodily harm. Virginia recognizes contructive desertion, which is essentially a desertion of the marital relationship while the parties... View More

Property that is acquired by gift or inheritance during a marriage in Virginia starts as separate property in equitable distribution. This is an exception to the general rule that property acquired during the marriage and before the last date of separation is presumed to be marital property, no... View More

A decision to allow a child to get a learner's permit involves legal custody. For true joint legal custody, there would be a greater burden than simply imposing an obligation to discuss decisions: the parties would have to agree on legal decisions concerning the child. Sometimes, judges... View More

The Virginia Court of Appeals has recognized a divorce from bed and board as a legal separation, so Virginia does have a legal separation. This is an intermediate form of divorce based on fault grounds only, that does not allow one to remarry, but recognizes you are no longer sharing the same bed... View More

Court orders in Virginia are enforced through a contempt proceeding. After reopening the case, the proceeding is initiated with the filing of a verified petition describing the violation of the court order, along with a rule to show cause. If the judge finds the grounds sufficient, he or she will... View More

A judge's authority in equitable distribution in Virginia is strictly statutory and must be based on the provisions of Virginia Code Section 20-107.3. The judge has no authority to order property to be conveyed to someone other than a spouse.

Any provision beyond the authority of... View More

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

The separation period for a no fault divorce in Virginia is 1 year. If the parties have no minor children born or adopted of the marriage, and have signed a written separation agreement, the required separation period is only 6 months. The intention to separate permanently must exist continuously... 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.

Property received by gift or inheritance during the marriage start as separate property. Separate property may be transmuted into marital property by certain actions that cause it to lose its character as separate property, such as the commingling of funds. Property may also be classified as... View More

Good question. I appreciate your desire to be fair. There is a lot to think about here, but at a high level, you'll need to gather and then work through all assets and debts and determine who gets what. Hiring a lawyer is a good idea to make sure that you understand the legal implications of... View More

Great question! It depends on what you mean when you say "no separation." Virginia does allow for something called "in-house separation." This requires that both parties are living as though they are already separated, even if under the same roof. The relationship must have... 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

Spouses can enter into enforceable written marital agreements in Virginia, also known as separation agreements, property settlement agreements, and agreements and stipulations when they address the incidents of separation and divorce. Ultimately, the parties cannot bind a judge by contract on the... View More

In Bchara v. Bchara, the Virginia Court of Appeals recognized that a husband and wife could live separate and apart under the same roof. A separation in Virginia requires that the couple is no longer cohabitating as husband and wife. Typically, one spouse leaves the marital residence to reside at... View More