Virginia Family Law Blog

Many in Alexandria may view spousal support as being limited to alimony payments. Yet there may be other ways through which one is obligated to support their ex-spouse after their marriage has ended. Given that (according to the U.S. Census Bureau) over 67 percent of Americans have their health insurance coverage through a private plan, there is a strong possibility in many divorce cases that one spouse was covered under the other’s plan (which in most cases is offered through their employer). If that spouse is not able to immediately secure gainful employment (that offers benefits), are they to be left uncovered after their divorce becomes final?

Fortunately, federal lawmakers understand the potential for such a scenario occurring and have enacted legislation to address it. The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act allows people who are no longer affiliated with the organizations that sponsored their group health plan coverage to continue to have access to it. This allows them time to find new coverage without having to worry about being saddled with medical debt if they need to seek treatment before enrolling in a new plan. Information shared by the U.S. Department of Labor shows that in order to qualify for COBRA coverage, one’s case meets the following criteria:

• Their group health plan coverage must have been sponsored by a company subject to COBRA regulations
• They must be an eligible beneficiary of such coverage
• They must have experienced a significant life event

Most Virginia residents are aware that lot of attention is commonly given to how assets will be split when a couple gets divorced. This is certainly understandable as the need to sell a house, move out of a family home, give up half of a retirement account or other experiences can be hard to accept. The process can even leave some people concerned about how they will live on their new single-earner income if they had previously enjoyed a lifestyle supported by two incomes. These concerns can grow when a person ends up taking on some of the couple's joint debt as well.

The property division aspect of a divorce must address a couple's debts as well as the couple's assets. Exactly which spouse ends up being responsible for which debt can vary based on a variety of factors. As explained by SoFi, the official date on which the couple separated may well play an important role in determining when any joint debt ceases to be accrued. This will help to determine what debts must be split and what debts are to be considered the sole responsibility of one of the spouses.

If you and your spouse are embarking on a divorce in Virginia, you will need to determine how to split your marital assets and debts. For most couples, their primary residence is their biggest asset but is also connected to their biggest liability in the form of a mortgage. You should be very careful in how you decide to assign ownership of your home and responsibility for this mortgage should you opt not to sell your home when you get divorced.

Your spouse might wish to keep your family home, even citing stability for your children as a main reason for doing so. This is an understandable desire but it is not without its potential downfalls for you if it is not executed properly. As explained by The Mortgage Reports, you must ensure that your name does not remain on any active mortgage in order to prevent any future financial connection to or liability for the home.

Beautiful weddings don't just happen. They take planning, preparation and, in many cases, lots and lots of money. Those in wedding industries know how much a bride and groom may be willing to sacrifice for a dream wedding, and they continue to raise the bar. Before you know it, you have hired separate photographers and videographers for the wedding preparation, the ceremony and the reception. You have purchased numerous outfits for pre and post celebrations. You have bought party favors, engraved cake servers and gifts for the wedding party.

Like nearly half of all engaged couples, you likely went into debt to pay for your wedding, reception and honeymoon. In fact, you and your partner may have had disputes about the cost of the wedding. If you are considering divorce at this time, it is possible that you can trace the troubles in your marriage to the extravagance of your wedding.