It can take years to garner the strength to leave an abusive relationship, particularly if you have an abusive partner with money and political power. In foreign countries a partner and child subject to physical abuse from the other partner often seek refuge in the United States from such abuse. Our country's immigration laws may allow qualifying individuals to petition for asylum where they a…Read More
One day I received a phone call from an FBI agent that had worked with me when I was a Federal Prosecutor. The agent's son had been charged in state court with malicious wounding after a fight outside a bar. The young man had beaten one of his adversaries so severely that he required a hospital stay of about one month to recover. The family was very concerned that their son was in grave danger of …Read More
Marijuana laws are rapidly changing throughout the country, with some states and even the District of Columbia making possession of limited quantities legal. Many states and the federal government, however, still have laws against marijuana, and other illicit drugs, which makes even the possession of those drugs illegal, whether or not you use them. Many think so long as they don't have the drugs …Read More
Separating from a spouse or partner can be one of the most stressful experiences in a person's life. If there are children involved, that stress is often intensified – custody and child support are usually some of the biggest concerns in a divorce. Many people turn to the court system with the expectation that their case will be handled in a swift manner. Unfortunately, in the absence of an emer…Read More
After an unfortunate decline in the marriage relationship, you and your spouse have agreed that a divorce would be best for both of you. Despite agreeing you both need a divorce, you can't seem to agree on anything else. After weeks or months of back-and-forth negotiation you have finally settled on everything from child custody, spousal support, and who will get the set of decorative silver butte…Read More
They're everywhere, air freshener trees in varied scents and themes. You pick it up after your car wash to freshen up the interior but where are you supposed to hang that thing? If you drive in Virginia and are tempted to hang it from your rear-view mirror, think again, unless you want to be stopped by police and given a ticket (or worse). In Virginia, according to Virginia Code 46.2-1054 "[i]…Read More
It's a familiar story: man meets woman, they fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. Turns out, many find "happily ever after" is not really forever. Death or divorce can permanently end any marriage. People are getting married later in life and, consequently, have substantial savings or other assets they bring with them in a marriage that must be protected if the marriage ends. Som…Read More
Child custody can be one of the most contentious aspects of divorce and family law. If both parents want their child to live with them, it can create a zero-sum situation where litigation is inevitable. Before deciding on a course of action, there are several considerations parents should be aware of. First, it is important to differentiate between legal and physical custody. Legal custody is havi…Read More
Understanding Your Best Options In today's post, we will be staring into the unknown abyss that is a DUI, along with its facets and intricacies. Why would we want to bring up such an uncomfortable topic like DUIs as they pertain to traffic law as a whole? That is an excellent question, we are thrilled you asked. The first reason is that people get in these situations more often than most any of us…Read More
Generally speaking, civil litigation is the result of at least one party is claimed to have committed a wrong, but not a crime. Depending on who you ask, some litigation attorneys will say that many specialized subjects within the umbrella of civil litigation are not, strictly speaking, civil litigation cases. For example, labor law and small claims cases can be given more precise descriptors, but…Read More
