Consider the following scenario: John and Jane give birth to their first and only child, John Jr. Shortly after the child is born, John and Jane separate and begin dissolving their marriage. John Jr. was only a year old when the divorce decree was issued. However, there are no provisions in the divorce decree concerning custody of John Jr. Ultimately, John Jr. remains with his father, and Jane has visitation rights. Read More

States have incorporated “drug courts,” which offer sentencing alternatives to specific individuals. After defendants accept a plea, they enter into a supervised process to break their addiction and avoid being sent to prison. Though most jurisdictions offer these, few have begun offering something along the same lines to veterans known as “veterans dockets.”  This program is in its early stages and has only Read More

When forming your business, you may choose to structure it as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. Each type of structure offers different levels of asset protection and affects how much you pay in taxes. But owners can exert further control over their business—both while alive and after they pass away—by placing business interests in a trust.   Typically associated Read More

When forming your business, you may choose to structure it as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation. Each type of structure offers different levels of asset protection and affects how much you pay in taxes. But owners can exert further control over their business—both while alive and after they pass away—by placing business interests in a trust. Typically associated with Read More

Members of the U.S. Armed Forces live under an umbrella of unique circumstances. For example, their actions are governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and are subject to the constant possibility of relocations and deployments. Although a military divorce follows the same process as a civilian one, several factors must be considered. One of the biggest concerns that many military members have is how Read More

Most Americans have limited interactions with the police but are only aware of this once they get pulled over. Imagine that you are pulled over because your inspection sticker expired last week. The police officer asks you to step out of the car because they want to search your vehicle. Do you have to comply? Are they within their rights to ask you if you have been drinking? These questions surface, and you become Read More

To clarify, when we use the term “family abuse,” we are referring to domestic violence. Although the former is the term Virginia uses, you will likely hear both. Regardless of what it is called, this law extends to family members, people with children in common regardless of whether or not they live together, and people that have cohabited in the last twelve months. The law was deliberately written to include the Read More

The Virginia Birth Father Registry, formerly referred to as the Virginia Putative Father Registry, protects unmarried men's parental rights. This system was established and maintained by the Virginia Department of Social Services. Before you can understand the need and purpose for this service, you need to comprehend the adoption process fully.  Let’s look at this through the lens of a step-parent adoption. Read More

Owning a horse is a significant undertaking in terms of both time and money. When you accept this responsibility, the onus for feeding, grooming, and exercising them falls on you. Regardless of what the weather and your calendar look like, you still have to muck the stalls, exercise the horse, or turn them out in a paddock daily. Horse owners are selfless people who devote themselves to protecting, raising, and Read More

Horse owners are selfless people who devote themselves to protecting, raising, training, and loving these incredible animals. All horse owners know that owning a horse is a significant undertaking in terms of time and money. When you accept this responsibility, the commitment to feeding, grooming, and exercising them falls on you. Regardless of what the weather and your calendar look like, you still have to muck the Read More