If you are facing a divorce, you naturally have a good deal of trepidation and concern about your future. Divorce is often a difficult hurdle, but with an experienced divorce lawyer in Hampton Roads on your side, you can move forward with the confidence that comes from knowing you have professional legal counsel on your side.Â
From your vantage point, divorce may feel like a complicated puzzle that is overwhelming from the outset. If you break it down into its major elements, however, it can become far more manageable. Ultimately, divorce can be divided into matters that relate to your financial rights and matters that relate to your parental rights.Â
When it comes to divorce and your financial rights, there is the division of your marital property and the determination of spousal support (as applicable) to consider.Â
That property that you and your spouse acquired during the course of your marriage is intended to be divided fairly between the two of you in the event of divorce. Because the stakes are high, this division can quickly become heated. Factors that can complicate the matter even further include:
Not every divorce leads to alimony, but when appropriate, it can play an important financial role. If one spouse experiences a financial disadvantage upon divorce and the other has the financial means to help, alimony may be awarded. Alimony payments are usually temporary and are intended to help the financially disadvantaged spouse gain better financial footing through either further education or job training.
Your parental rights – as addressed by divorce – include your child custody arrangements and child support.
Child custody includes both legal and physical custody. Legal custody relates to the significant responsibility of making important decisions on behalf of your children, while physical custody relates to your parenting schedules. Both legal and physical custody can be either sole or joint. Because the court bases every child-custody decision on the best interests of the children involved – and finds that (all things being equal) – spending time with both parents is to the children’s advantage, it is rare for a parent not to be awarded some form of visitation with his or her children.Â
Child support is based on the state’s calculation guidelines, which are fairly cut and dried. Because both parents are legally responsible for supporting their children financially – relative to their earnings – the higher earner typically pays child support to the other parent.Â
If you’re facing a divorce, the accomplished divorce lawyers at Mahoney Richmond Thurston, PLLC, in Hampton Roads have a wealth of experience protecting the financial and parental rights of clients like you. For more information about how we can also help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.