Name change

There is an expedited process for some name changes. Va. Code § 20-121.4 states "Upon decreeing a divorce from the bond of matrimony the court...

Va Code § 16.1-244 states "However, when a suit for divorce has been filed in a circuit court, in which the custody, guardianship, visitation or...

My 15 year old daughter wants to move in with me because she's afraid of her mother. How do I get custody?

You can file a petition to modify custody. There is a two-prong test to modify custody. The first prong is that there must have been a material...

Va. Code § 20-91 provides that "A. A divorce from the bond of matrimony may be decreed: . . . (1) For adultery; or for sodomy or buggery committed...

What can I do about my ex refusing to take my 16 yr old son to extracurricular activities during his visitation time ?

The Virginia case that addresses this matter is Eichelberger v. Eichelberger, 2 Va.App. 409, 345 S.E.2d 10 (Va. App., 1986). It states that "The...

Will child support be based on where my kids reside, my income, my ex income or all the above?

Child support is based upon both parents' incomes. The state where the payor resides determines the amount. However, a state may not modify a...

Where can I get a legal paper stating I can leave the state with my child?

There may be an existing custody order because custody must be established to determine who pays who child support. The best course of action ...

A support order can be modified upon a material change of circumstances. A new child is not a material change to trigger a modification. However,...

How does court view child care costs in child support orders, and under what circumstances can child care costs modify support?

The notion of a threshold change to trigger support modification is not in the relevant statutes. Only a material change is required. A material...

When does joint custody end?

Custody ends at age 18 when you become an adult. Just be aware that actions have consequences.