Virginia Family Law Blog

You've likely heard the saying that all is fair in love and war. Marriage can sometimes feel like both. If you're one of many Virginia spouses who are contemplating divorce, you might relate to others in the past who determined their relationships were more like war than love, so they decided to move in life without their spouse. The problem is, not everyone plays fair in divorce.

When you and your spouse navigate property division proceedings, you're both supposed to agree to full disclosure. This means each of you must be willing to provide all pertinent information regarding your assets and liabilities. Do you think your spouse is trying to beat the system? How can you know for sure? Hiding assets in divorce is illegal, and the court typically doesn't look favorably upon someone willing to commit such acts to try to gain the upper hand in a divorce.

When Virginia residents and those elsewhere decide to end their marriages, they often want to get it over with as quickly as possible. Of course, try as they might to move matters along, divorce can take time. The exact amount of time will depend on numerous factors pertaining to a specific case.

The complexity of the case can play a major role. If individuals have children and numerous assets or complex assets, making decisions regarding child custody and property division may take longer than for individuals without children and only a few assets. In some cases, appraisals and valuations may need to occur or more information may be needed to determine exactly how to divide the property in the most equitable way possible.

Being a parent often means putting the needs of the children before one's own. Even if Virginia parents feel emotionally vulnerable themselves after deciding to divorce, they know that the situation can be even more difficult for their children. As a result, they may have to find ways to put their emotions aside to talk to their children about the divorce and child custody.

Breaking such news can be tricky. Children should certainly know about the divorce, but it should only come up after the parents have firmly decided that they are ending their marriage. Telling the kids that their parents are no longer going to be together and then changing their minds can be confusing and detrimental to children. It is also important that both parents and children have time to process and discuss the news and be with each other.

When many Virginia residents get married, they often feel optimistic about the future. They may envision the happiness that they and their spouse will have together and the many adventures they will take. Of course, many marriages end in divorce, and this often happens because those hopeful ideas do not manifest into reality.

For example, some people may marry only to find that they and their spouse have very different views on important matters. One spouse may have amassed considerable wealth and is conscientious of spending, and the other may burn through cash without a worry. Unfortunately, this type of scenario can easily lead to strain on a marriage, and if the differences persist, it could spell divorce for the couple.