The parents shall pay in proportion to their gross incomes, (the same income percentages used for calculating the monthly support obligation), any reasonable and necessary unreimbursed medical or dental expenses. The method of payment of those expenses shall be contained in the child support order. Each parent shall pay his respective share of expenses as those expenses are incurred. Any amount paid under this subsection shall not be adjusted by, nor added to, the child support calculation. Medical or dental expenses shall include, but not be limited to eyeglasses, prescription medication, prosthetics, orthodontics, and mental health or developmental disabilities services, including but not limited to services provided by a social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, or therapist.
Can The Court Order Me To Pay For Life Insurance On My Life?
In determining child support, the court shall have the authority to order a party to (i) maintain any existing life insurance policy on the life of either party provided the party so ordered has the right to designate a beneficiary and (ii) designate a child or children of the parties as the beneficiary of all or a portion of such life insurance for so long as the party so ordered has a statutory obligation to pay child support for the child or children.
Prenuptial agreements may be ideal later in life
Individuals in Virginia tend to be older and have a higher net worth when they get married for a second or third time. Furthermore, they may have children or other interests that they want to protect in the event of another divorce. Therefore, it may be a good idea to negotiate and execute a prenuptial agreement before getting married again. Creating such an agreement may also allow couples to plan for their eventual retirement.
It can help couples determine when they will start taking distributions from retirement assets and which accounts to use first. One issue that is unique to marriages later in life is that older couples may not accumulate assets together. Instead, a majority of assets will be brought into the marriage. The terms of a prenuptial agreement may help to reallocate those assets in a manner that is fair to both parties.
When is divorce litigation preferred over mediation?
Like many newlywed couples, you may have had plans for your future. You may have wanted to raise a family, build a dream home and plan your retirement together. Unfortunately, things did not work out according to your plans, and you are now facing the emotional turmoil of a divorce.
In a similar way, you may have plans for your divorce. Maybe you hope you and your spouse can negotiate a fair agreement for custody and property division, go your separate ways, and remain friendly in the years to come. You may be fortunate if your divorce meets your expectations. However, you may also find yourself struggling to keep the peace when your ex wants only war.
How Virginia parents can financially prepare for a divorce
Virginia parents who are going through a divorce should consider how the divorce might affect their finances, and therefore their child's educational future. A study from Sociological Science found that the financial repercussions of a dissolved marriage may deter white children from attending college. The same study found that nonwhite children were not as badly affected. The study states that this is because white parents are generally in better financial situations than parents who are not white, so they tend to have more resources to lose following a divorce.
Divorce can impact finances in several ways. For example, because many women are kept in the dark about their families' financial situations, a woman who is newly divorced may only then discover how much debt the family was in. She will then be responsible for her share of the debt, which she may have never realized she would have to pay.
Can you date during legal separation
You are legally separated from your spouse but not yet divorced. Should you date someone?
You can, but you shouldn't.
There are many reasons why is it a very bad idea to date during your separation.
You are still married, even though you are legally separated. Some divorces take a while to finalize. It may feel like you have been separated for a long time that you are really divorced. But until the divorce order is signed by a judge, you are still married.
Custody evaluations: How to act when being observed
As mentioned, the evaluator will be observing you like a hawk throughout the evaluation.
The evaluator will observe you during the office visits. The greatest source of observational information occurs when you are being observed informally in the waiting room with your kids.
Dress appropriately. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately. Make sure both of you are well groomed and put together. Try to act naturally. Use open body language.
Custody evaluations: How to approach a custody evaluation
If a custody evaluator is involved in your custody case, there are basic rules of conduct that you should follow during the process.
You must take the custody evaluation seriously. Show up for your interviews with the evaluator well in advance. Never be late. Do not cancel appointments. If the evaluator visits your home, make your house clean and orderly. Make sure the dinner you cook is healthy. Have the children's rooms tidy as well. Make sure the children's rooms are child friendly. Make sure there is food in the refrigerator and cupboard.
When wives earn more, the risk of divorce increases
In marriages where the woman earns more money than the man, a lot of tension and complications can arise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wives make more than their husbands in about 38% of marriages involving heterosexual couples. Surveys from the Census Bureau show that this makes these couples uncomfortable as households will underreport the wife's income and overreport the husbands. Wives in Virginia and throughout the country are increasing their income relative to their husbands more than ever, creating problems in many marriages.
Traditional social attitudes about the financial roles of wives and husbands likely drives much of the friction in couples with disparate incomes, even in marriages with more of an emphasis on love than economics. Not only do marriages where the wife earns more lead to divorce more often, but unmarried couples where the woman earns more than the man are less likely to end tying the knot in the first place.
How to juggle work and divorce priorities
It's important for any soon-to-be ex-spouse in Virginia to not let the divorce affect their professional life. This means not talking about the divorce unless it is strictly necessary. The only work colleagues who may need to know are business partners, HR professionals and any secretaries who handle scheduling.
Avoid leaving any confidential information out where others can look at it. All digital divorce-related information should be placed in a master folder where it can be accessed easily as needed.
