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Divorce Attorneys Chesapeake

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Divorce will affect you in a very personal way, and your journey forward will be unique to you. However, there are important legal aspects that must be addressed in every divorce and that require considerable legal savvy. If you’re facing a divorce, protecting your parental and financial rights is paramount, and working with an experienced divorce attorney in Chesapeake is always in your best interests. 

The Court’s Role

Many people who are going through a divorce – or who are even contemplating divorce – experience considerable anxiety about whether or not their cases will end up in court. The truth is that the terms of most Virginia divorces are resolved outside of court, and your divorce is likely to be the same. If you and your divorcing spouse are able to negotiate the terms of your divorce between yourselves – with as much guidance as you need from your respective divorce attorneys – you can keep the decision-making power between yourselves. If, however, one or more terms becomes a sticking point, you may need the court to make the final determinations. 

The primary divorce terms can include:

  • The division of your marital assets
  • Your child custody arrangements
  • Child support
  • Alimony

Your Parental Rights

Your parental rights are represented by your child custody arrangements and child support. Child custody involves parental decision-making power (legal custody) and the schedule by which you and your divorcing spouse will divide your time with your shared children (physical custody).  

The kinds of decisions addressed by legal custody include:

  • Your kids’ educations
  • Your kids’ health care
  • Your kids’ extracurriculars
  • Your kids’ religious training

Legal custody can be either sole or joint.

Physical custody determines how you and your soon-to-be-ex will split your time with your shared children. One of you may become the primary custodial parent with whom your children make their primary home, but you may also split your time more evenly. If you need the court’s intervention on the matter, you can expect a standard parenting schedule, but if you’re able to negotiate a resolution on your own, you can devise whatever schedule works for your family. 

Finally, child support is intended to help balance each parent’s financial responsibility to their children, and while many factors can play a role in this determination, each parent’s income and number of overnights with the kids are primary.  

Your Financial Rights

Your financial rights boil down to the division of your marital property and alimony. 

Those assets you acquired while married are considered marital property, and they must be divided between you fairly upon divorce. 

Alimony will only play a role in your divorce if one of you experiences a financial setback while the other has the means to help. 

Discuss Your Divorce Concerns with an Experienced Divorce Attorney in Chesapeake Today

The seasoned divorce attorneys at Mahoney & Richmond, PLLC, in Chesapeake, Virginia, dedicate their practice to helping clients like you obtain beneficial divorce terms that support their parental and financial rights. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us today.