If you are moving forward toward a divorce, there are a lot of moving parts that must be addressed and a lot of work to tackle before the matter is finalized. Wherever you find yourself in the process, reaching out to experienced divorce attorneys in Virginia Beach can help.Â
Every divorcing couple must take on and resolve the primary terms of divorce that apply to their circumstances, including:
The more of these terms you can iron out between yourselves and your respective divorce attorneys, the fewer you’ll need the court to determine on your behalf. If you manage to successfully tackle each of them, all you’ll require of the court is that it sign off on your mutually acceptable terms.Â
If you and your divorcing spouse share children, you’ll need to resolve the matter of both legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody has to do with making primary parenting decisions, such as those related to the following:
Physical custody sets the schedule by which you and your ex will divide your time with your shared children. You will either divide this time somewhat evenly, or one of you will become the primary custodial parent.
Both you and your ex are naturally required to continue supporting your minor children financially, and how this responsibility is shared between the two of you is determined by Virginia’s child support calculation guidelines. The parent with the higher income typically bears the child support obligation.
Marital property refers to the assets that you and your spouse came to own as a married couple – regardless of who made the purchase. Upon divorce, these marital assets – or their value – must be split between you in a way that fairly addresses the circumstances involved in your divorce. Any property that either of you owned prior to marriage will remain your separate property if you were able to keep it separate over the course of your marriage.
Alimony is less common than the other terms of divorce and only applies when one ex is left without the ability to continue supporting themself financially post-divorce. In these cases, alimony – that is intended to provide the recipient with the ability to gain financial independence via education or job training – may be awarded.Â
The accomplished divorce attorneys at Mahoney Richmond Thurston, PLLC, in Virginia Beach dedicate their practice to helping clients like you protect both their parental and financial rights in pursuit of divorce terms that work for them, and we’re here for you too. We’re on your side and here to help, so please don’t put off reaching out and contacting us for more information about what we can do to help you today.