The novel coronavirus was declared a worldwide pandemic on March 11. Since then restaurants have closed, schools have shut down and millions of Americans are now working from home, if they’re lucky enough to be working at all. Work has ...

Tagged with: Coronavirus Family Law

Where father’s parental rights were terminated, the court was not required to consider giving custody to father’s biological cousin. The cousin was not a “relative” under the applicable statute because when father was adopted, any legal relationship with his cousin ...

Tagged with: Family Law Virginia Court of Appeals

Where mother appeals the juvenile and domestic relations court’s determination that she abused and neglected her children, her failure to appeal those findings made them the law of the case during later stages of the litigation. Further, because she did ...

Tagged with: Family Law Virginia Court of Appeals

Where two experts in this parental rights termination case offered opinion testimony, appellant cannot attack the testimony on the basis that they used “unreliable, unscientific, and outmoded testing methods.” Further, there was clear and convincing evidence to support the circuit ...

Tagged with: Family Law Judge Clifford L. Athey Jr. Virginia Court of Appeals

Where the trial court denied husband’s motion for reduced spousal support because wife acquired a job, the trial court properly determined that this was not a material change in circumstances that warranted modifying husband’s support obligation. But the trial court’s ...

Tagged with: Domestic Relations Family Law Judge Louise M. DiMatteo Judge Wesley G. Russell Jr. Virginia Court of Appeals

Where the parties swore in open court that their agreement, as recited by counsel, was “full,” “final” and “total,” the court will treat the proposed order, which tracks the hearing transcript, as a final, enforceable order once it is entered. ...

Tagged with: Fairfax County Circuit Court Family Law Judge David A. Oblon Virginia Circuit Courts

Where plaintiffs’ complaint against individual defendants in this adoption case arises from the Shenandoah County Department of Social Services alleged failure to share all relevant information about the child with the adoptive parents, the court sustains the demurrers of two ...

Tagged with: Family Law Judge William F. Sharp Virginia Circuit Courts Winchester Circuit Court

With the 2020 Assembly session just weeks away, legislators are putting the final touches on bills they hope to introduce. Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, has a long list of family law legislation he will advance. “I have a couple I’ve ...

Tagged with: Family Law General Assembly

Virginia Code §20-91(A)(9)(a), which allows a husband and wife to obtain a divorce if they live separate and apart without cohabitation and without interruption for one year, applies equally to same-sex married couples. In this case, a same-sex married couple ...

Tagged with: Fairfax County Circuit Court Family Law Judge Stephen C. Shannon Virginia Circuit Courts

The 2019 General Assembly was good for kids, to hear reports from child advocates and family law attorneys. Legislators approved and funded a plan to boost oversight of largely autonomous local welfare offices that run Virginia’s foster care system. The ...

Tagged with: Domestic Relations Family Law General Assembly