Recent Blog Posts
HOW DO I DRESS FOR COURT IN VIRGINIA?
Legal matters can be incredibly stressful depending upon the circumstances, often making your wardrobe the least of your concerns. This article will help you choose the right outfit. What to Wear When choosing your court room outfit, keep the following tips in mind: Dress like you are attending either church, a job interview or an […]
WHAT IS CONSIDERED SEPARATE PROPERTY IN A DIVORCE IN VIRGINIA?
In Virginia, anything acquired premaritally, which can clearly be traced into one party’s separate name, is their separate property or responsibility. If this premarital property was comingled during the marriage, it may become eligible for division. Let’s discuss what this means: Examples of Separate Property v. Comingling Assets To understand the difference between separate property […]
DIVORCE AND HEALTH INSURANCE IN VIRGINIA
A major concern of many couples in the process of dissolving their marriages is health insurance. This article will address concerns frequently expressed to the attorneys at The Hopkins Law Firm. If I am separated does my spouse have to maintain my insurance? When parties begin living separately to initiate the process of formalizing their […]
CAN I CONTACT MY SPOUSE’S LAWYER IN VIRGINIA?
During the divorce process, communication from both parties is crucial. However, if you have a lawyer representing your interests, you cannot contact your spouse’s lawyer. Therefore, before making contact, it is important to know that there are rules governing these communications, such as: Who is involved? The first thing to know is who may be […]
HOW TO ANSWER DISCOVERY REQUESTS IN VIRGINIA
This article will provide some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to answer discovery requests received by the attorneys at The Hopkins Law Firm: What are discovery requests? Discovery requests are questions that are issued in civil or criminal matters to receive answers to questions relevant to a case. They […]
WHAT ASSETS AND DEBTS ARE DIVIDED IN A DIVORCE IN VIRGINIA?
When a couple decides to divorce, they should make every attempt to agree to a division of all marital assets and debts for the divorce to be finalized. This agreement is memorialized in a Property Settlement Agreement. Some parties are able to agree on some but not all issues, and in these circumstances, they would […]
NEWBORN BABY CUSTODY IN VIRGINIA
If parties to a divorce have a recently born baby, custody will look quite different than the average custodial arrangement parents of older children have. What should separating parents with a new baby expect? Let’s discuss: Primary Custodian Similar to the custody of older children, custodial arrangements for a new baby include a primary custodian. […]
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HOUSE IN A DIVORCE IN VIRGINIA?
Clients often have many questions about the parties’ real property acquired during the marriage, known formally as the “marital home”. This article will provide some insight as to what to expect: Who keeps the house? The spouse who maintains ownership of the house is determined by who can afford to do so. The following scenarios […]
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BE DIVORCED IN VIRGINIA?
One of the questions we are most often asked is how long it will take to be divorced. Some clients are divorced in about six to eight months, while others may not be divorced for several years. There are many factors that impact the timeline of a divorce, such as: Mandatory separation. Virginia has mandatory […]
CUSTODY AND VISITATION OPTIONS WHEN PARENTS LIVE IN DIFFERENT STATES
When a couple divorces, it is common for one of or both of the parties to relocate to be nearer to family for support raising their children. However, when parents live in different states, traditional custody and visitation schedules simply do not work. This article will discuss what type of custody arrangement to expect when […]