Roanoke Legal Blog

The end of a marriage is a difficult decision, and sometimes, these challenging feelings can get in the way of trying to work together toward a settlement. In some cases, a Virginia divorce process is so contentious that children feel like they've been put in the middle of their parents' battles, which can lead to stress and confusion for the youngest members of the family. Experts say they have noticed it becoming more common for children and even adults to struggle with mental health issues because of this.

There are times when a mental health issue is such that it actually one parent feels the need to protect the children from the other parent. Other times, parents end up fighting over how to manage their child's special needs. At a time when joint custody is becoming the norm, it can be helpful to remember that this arrangement is not always best. 

You love your children, but you don't love their father. It was hard deciding to break out of this marriage, because you knew it would affect your kids. The truth was, though, that you just weren't a good match, and there were many problems that you needed to make sure you took your children away from.

When you don't trust your spouse around your children for any reason, it's important that you do fight for custody. Whether you fight for sole custody or want to make sure that visitation dates have supervision, those are things that your attorney can help you with during your divorce.

Just the same as every other state, police in Virginia are taking things to the next level in regard to its attempt to keep drunk drivers off the road. Even though you're aware of this, as well as the fact that driving drunk is dangerous, you could still make the mistake of getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

If you're pulled over for suspicion of DUI, it's critical that you take the steps necessary to protect your legal rights. Here are some of the things you should do:

• Comply with the officer's request for additional information: For example, they'll ask for license and registration, so provide it to them as quickly as possible. It's a good idea to know where it's located in your vehicle so you don't have to search around.
• Keep your answers short: Don't go on and on about where you're coming from, where you're going and how you would never drink and drive. Concise answers are the best answers at this point.
• Don't answer questions you don't understand: If you don't understand a question, ask for clarification. And if you think an answer will incriminate you, tell the officer that you'd rather not answer.
• Don't resist arrest: Even if you feel you're being treated in an unfair manner, resisting arrest will only make things worse. It can lead to more trouble at the scene, as well as additional criminal charges.

Most people now recognize the importance for children to maintain a strong relationship with their dads after a divorce. Joint custody is more common than ever, and it is now easier for dads to secure the parenting time necessary to have a prominent role in the lives of their children. Not that long ago, however, courts most often gave preference to the mothers, and it was very difficult for dads to share custody of a child.

Divorce has changed in many ways over the previous decades, which is a positive step for fathers. Most Virginia fathers want to be active parents after a divorce, and joint custody allows parents to share both physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody refers to the amount of time a parent will have with his or her kids, and legal custody refers to the right that a parent has to make important decisions for his or her child. This includes decisions related to religious upbringing, medical care, education and more.