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

Living trusts enable you to place assets into a trust during your lifetime while maintaining the ability to manage and use the assets without restriction. Upon your death, your assets can be distributed to your beneficiaries in such a way that avoids probate, allows you to maintain some level of control after death, and provides the possibility of creditor protection for your beneficiaries. Why Should I Consider Read More

Adoption can be an enriching experience. When a biological parent passes away or has abandoned a child, step-parents may choose to adopt the child formally. Though you must take several legal steps, an attorney can guide you through this process. If you are considering a step-parent adoption, understand that it may not be as complex as you assume. Here are some of the benefits of step-parent adoptions:   Not All Read More

Some big new changes have come to Virginia law and went into effect on July 1st. These include upcoming alcohol delivery, changes to Marijuana laws, and cracking down on various areas of criminal law. Here are all of the important changes to watch out for in Virginia law: Police Ticketing Quotas Already in effect, a new piece of legislation restricting police departments from setting quotas for ticketing has been Read More

The most commonly cited reason for not establishing an estate plan is that it’s a confusing topic, which is understandable - there is a lot of complexity and detail that goes into estate planning, and overlooking even a small part of the process can result in an ineffective or invalid estate plan, sending you back to square one. Our goal is to build up an effective estate plan by meeting all of your needs while also Read More

Virginia has imposed mandatory minimum sentences for a wide range of offenses ever since 1968, arguably leading to more and more incarcerations yearly. This policy can create much longer sentences for those convicted, and also force many defendants into plea deals, rather than trying their case to a judge or jury. Because fighting a case at trial runs the risk of being found guilty, and thus facing the mandatory Read More

  We’re happy to announce that we’re relocating just six miles south into historic Fredericksburg, allowing our firm to provide quality legal counsel to an even wider area than before. We will now be operating from the Hugh D. Martin House, located at 1103 Princess Anne Street. We’re excited about the move, and even though we’re changing locations, we haven’t changed what Norton Pelt stands for.  Our new location Read More