Custody cases are some of the most complicated and emotional situations families will ever deal with. Our children mean a lot to us, so it’s important to fight for our right to be with them and to raise them. Different scenarios will impact our ability to do so, however, and it’s important to understand how different scenarios will impact the custody of a child. Military families, especially those that go through a Read More

When a couple has a child and goes through a divorce or separation in Virginia, the ensuing custody battle creates serious challenges for everyone involved. Generally, not everyone involved will be able to get what they want and oftentimes nobody gets the result they want out of the situation. What’s important to remember is that custody battles don’t end just because the court enters a custody and visitation order. Read More

At Rinehart Bryant, we understand no one family looks the same. Families take many different forms, and this can create different challenges when it comes to determining who does or doesn’t have custody or visitation rights with children. Virginia law does not specifically provide grandparents with custody or visitation rights upfront. Instead, the law allows a “person of legitimate interest” to petition for these Read More

It’s been nearly seven years since the Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage. For the most part, this gave all couples the same rights and protections throughout the U.S., including in Virginia. However, same-sex couples still face discrimination and other challenges when starting and planning a family.Marital timeline Same-sex couples have been dating, living together, and committing to each Read More

Virginia is for lovers. Marriage is for lovers. In Virginia, sometimes people get involved with lovers who they aren’t married to. Their spouse isn’t so happy. If you’ve been noticing that your spouse smells different, has all of a sudden become obsessed with the gym and/or recently became overly protective of their phone, a new law makes it easier than in the past to prove the grounds of adultery in Virginia Read More

You know what they say: in life, only two things are certain - death and taxes. Taxes are, of course, an important part of a divorce, especially for married couples with children. When filing taxes, parents receive a Child Tax Credit, providing financial relief for the financial burden of raising children. When parents are divorced, only one of them will receive the Credit. So who gets it, and why? The Child Tax Read More

Protective Orders are legal orders issued by a Judge to protect the health and safety of someone who has been abused or who has been threatened in a way that would lead a person to be concerned about future abuse. When you are in danger, timely obtaining a Protective Order is of the highest importance. The entry of a Protective Order can restrict the abusive party from being physically near the victim or interacting Read More

The holidays can be wonderful and magical for children, but stressful and frantic for adults. Divorced parents often say that the biggest adjustment at first was being spread across two households for the holidays. While it is easy to focus on how different things are, the most important thing is to focus on making your children happy and enjoying the time you get to spend with them. When it comes to the holiday Read More

There are many decisions that must be made in a divorce. Who gets to keep the house? Who gets to keep the car? How are the bank accounts divided? Is there alimony due? If there are children involved, who gets custody of them? Is there child support owed? Sometimes, there are even disputes over who gets to keep the family pets. If a couple cannot come to a decision amongst themselves on these issues, they will Read More

To file for divorce in Virginia, you have to file under specific “grounds.” We cover the grounds in our Free Resource, Where Do I Start With a Virginia Divorce? Under certain grounds, when you are proving that one party is at fault in the divorce, you can file immediately. This applies to situations where one spouse has been deserted by the other (abandonment/desertion) or has to leave to protect their own safety Read More