If you are facing a divorce, you’re trying to balance your emotions and your children’s well-being, while protecting your financial and parental rights, and it’s a lot. If you find yourself in this precarious position, don’t wait to consult with an experienced divorce attorney in Virginia Beach.
Every divorcing couple must address the terms of divorce that apply to their situation. If you can resolve these terms between yourselves – with the skilled legal guidance of your respective divorce attorneys – your divorce will settle out of court. If not, however, the court will make any remaining determinations on behalf of you and your divorcing spouse. Â
One of the divorce terms that every divorcing couple must face is the division of marital property. Any assets or properties that you, your spouse, or both of you together acquired while you were married are viewed as marital property, which means that you and your spouse must find a way to divide them fairly in the course of your divorce. Separate property remains separate, but only if the owner is able to maintain the asset’s separate nature throughout the marriage.Â
If your divorce involves children, the matter of your child custody arrangements is also a primary concern. In Virginia, legal custody refers to the matter of making important parenting decisions like the following:
You and your ex can share legal custody, but one of you may have the authority to break a tie if needed, one of you can take on sole legal custody, or you can split these decisions between you according to the category of decision that needs to be made.Â
Physical custody refers to how you and your ex will divide your parenting time. Options include one of you taking on the role of primary custodial parent or both of you splitting physical custody between you more evenly.
The State of Virginia has a child support calculation system in place, which is designed to help ensure that financial support for children is balanced between both parents. Typically, the parent who earns more pays child support to the other – even when physical custody is shared evenly.
Only if divorce will leave one of you unable to support yourself financially will alimony come into play. The amount and duration of alimony are generally set to allow the recipient the time necessary to gain greater financial independence through education, experience, or job training. Â
The trusted divorce attorneys at Mahoney Richmond Thurston, PLLC, in Virginia Beach have an impressive array of experience helping clients like you successfully resolve the terms of their divorce – in focused support of their rights and best interests. Learn more by contacting us today.