Virginia Family Law Blog

The choices you make during your divorce will have a direct impact on your future and the lives of your kids. Even after the process is final, the things you do and say can have an effect on your children, especially when it comes to a tricky co-parenting situation. It may not be easy to work closely with a former spouse, but it is worthwhile to make this as peaceful as possible for your kids' sake.

Many Virginia parents choose to co-parent because it provides an opportunity to maintain a strong relationship with both of them. This can be difficult to navigate, especially when there are lingering hard feelings and complex issues to work through. However, parents would do well to focus on maintaining good communication, which directly impacts how well they co-parent.

Whether it is a carefully planned event that is shared with thousands of people or a private proposal, everyone's hearts are touched by the magic of the moment. While there is so much excitement that surrounds an engagement, there is also a deeply pragmatic side to it. Newly engaged couples in Virginia should know about the benefits that come from prenuptial agreements.

Discussing finances early in an engagement can set expectations for what each individual is hoping to get out of their financial partnership when they are married. If each individual knows how the other views money and has talked about the way they want to use it, they can avoid a lot frustration later on. Prenuptial agreements can help the couple to avoid many arguments if they decide to end their marriage at a later time. They can also avoid the expense of having a court decide how their assets will be distributed.

A Virginia parent who shares custody of their kids with a toxic ex-spouse may have to deal with a lot of manipulation, name-calling and power plays. While it may be a struggle to co-parent successfully with a high-conflict individual, it can be done. Maintaining personal integrity and looking out for the children's best interests should be the top goals.

It's important to think about how and when communication will take place with a toxic ex-spouse. After going through a divorce, one does not have to feel like they're constantly "on call." They will need to respond to emergencies involving the children, but they have the right to decide when and how they will engage with the ex-spouse. Many have found that business-like communication using email is the best option for keeping their sanity and focusing on parenting.

Usually, the family home is a marriage's most valuable asset, and divorcing couples in Virginia often find it hard to decide whether to sell or keep it. Spouses who are looking for a clean break and a fresh start might find this decision easy, but couples with fond memories of raising children and living as a family could find the family home very difficult to let go of.

Selling the family home and dividing the proceeds is the simplest solution, but couples who choose this option should bear in mind that capital gains tax will have to be paid on any profit realized. If one person wants to stay in the home, he or she can offer other assets in property negotiations in exchange for that individual's husband or wife's share of the home or take out a loan to buy him or her out. However, qualifying for a mortgage with just one income instead of two could be difficult.