Roanoke Legal Blog

When a couple decides to get married in Virginia, there are likely a million different thoughts and questions running through each person's mind. While it is certainly important to think about where they will live and whether they will have children in the future, it is equally important to consider what will happen in the event of a divorce. In some cases, the couple may choose the plan for this potential outcome by creating a prenuptial agreement.

Discussions surrounding prenups often begin with an honest accounting of each person's financial situation, including how much each person owns and earns. Equally important to discuss is how much debt each person holds. Without a prenup in place, one person could ultimately hold some responsibility for the other's debt.

As people in Virginia and across the country are aware, no one is perfect. Unfortunately, a single mistake can often have far-reaching consequences, such as when a person is dealing with a DUI arrest. Unfortunately, the state of Virginia has harsh penalties for those accused for driving under the influence.

For example, a person arrested for drunk driving faces an automatic suspension of a driver's license if his or her blood alcohol content is higher than .08. A person who is facing a repeat arrest could face an indefinite suspension. He or she may also face a mandatory prison sentence in addition to heavy fines. The consequences of a conviction vary depending on the person's age, level of intoxication and number of previous convictions.

Child support can make all the difference to newly divorced parents who have custody of their children. It can be difficult to adjust your standard of living to a single income while still covering all of the necessities of life. While child support may not actually represent how much you spend to care for your child, it can at least reduce the financial burden.

Unfortunately, not everyone is reliable about paying child support. In fact, some parents are downright terrible at fulfilling their parental obligations, even though the state tries to be very fair in setting amounts. If your ex is flaky or otherwise unreliable, you might wonder what options you have when they fail to pay child support. Luckily, the state of Virginia does understand the importance of child support and protects custodial parents who receive support from the other parents.

As most people in Virginia are aware, changes in life can impact the way children are parented. In some cases, this may mean that even carefully thought-about and agreed-upon child custody plans need a modification. In fact, there are several reasons in which a court might consider modifying a child custody order.

Courts are tasked with determining what the best interests of a child are. Therefore, if a previous order appears to be successful, the court will likely be unwilling to interrupt the child's life by modifying an agreement. However, a modification may be necessary if it is believed that a child's life is in danger as a result of the current plan.