Manassas Family Law Attorney

Manassas Family Law Lawyer

Going through a family law case is stressful, but you don’t have to do it alone. You can work with a Manassas family law attorney who can provide legal advice, manage paperwork, gather evidence, and otherwise assist with your case.

Taylor Huguley Powers PLLC Can Advocate for You

The team at Taylor Huguley Powers PLLC has years of experience in the practice of family law. We can help with everything from negotiating terms in uncontested divorces to representing you and protecting your rights if you must take your divorce proceedings to court. From spousal support to child custody disagreements, we can handle it all.

Why Hire a Family Law Attorney?

When you hire a family law attorney, you’re taking an essential step toward asserting your rights in negotiations and at the Prince William County Circuit Court. Even if you think the divorce will be amicable, it’s wise to have a lawyer on your side who can make sure your interests are prioritized. Working with a family law attorney means you can trust them to handle tasks like uncovering evidence and crafting arguments. That way, you can focus on what’s important: moving on with your life.

Common Types of Family Law Cases

We handle cases spanning the spectrum of family law, including prenuptial agreements as well as divorce proceedings. You can come to us with:

• Contested or uncontested divorces: Contested divorces are more challenging than uncontested ones. In both cases, though, spouses can benefit from having a lawyer on their side to keep track of details, gather evidence, and negotiate terms.
• Property division: When you get divorced, you and your spouse must determine how assets and debts will be split. This process is known as property division, and it can be quite complex, depending on what types of property you and your spouse accrued over the course of the marriage. We can help you come to an agreement.
• Child custody: One of the most contentious issues in modern divorces is child custody. If you’re concerned that you might lose custody of your child during the divorce proceedings, you should hire a family law attorney as soon as possible. Our team can aggressively defend your rights and your child’s best interests.
• Child support: Several factors go into determining child support payments, including each parent’s income, the custody arrangement, and expenses related to the care of the child. We can aid you in coming to a fair arrangement.
• Spousal support: Virginia gives the courts a great deal of discretion in determining spousal support payments. If you expect alimony payments to be an issue in your divorce, trust a family law attorney to negotiate a fair payment amount and duration.

Grounds for Divorce in Virginia

Virginia recognizes two types of divorce. A divorce a mensa et thoro, or from bed and board, is a qualified divorce in which the parties are separated but not permitted to marry other people. A divorce a vinculo matrimonii, or from the bond of matrimony, is a full divorce that allows each spouse to go on to remarry.

Regardless of which type of separation you want, you’ll need to prove the grounds for the divorce to the court. For divorce from bed and board, grounds for divorce include:

• Desertion
• Abandonment
• Cruelty
• Reasonable apprehension of bodily harm

A divorce from the bond of matrimony can be a no-fault divorce if both parties agree to it, but other grounds for divorce include adultery and conviction for a felony.

Divorce by the Numbers

The CDC estimates that the divorce rate in Virginia was 2.7 per 1,000 people in 2022. The average age at divorce was 40.1 for women and 42.6 for men in 2020, but couples of all ages can decide to dissolve their marriages. The divorce rate for people ages 65 and up has soared over recent years to 15% in 2022, which is three times the rate we saw in the 1990s for the same age group.

If you’re thinking of getting a divorce in Manassas, it doesn’t matter how your situation compares to the national averages. You deserve to work with an attorney who treats your case like it’s the only one in Manassas.

How Property Is Divided in a Divorce

In Virginia, the law requires an equitable distribution of marital property, including assets and debts. Marital property in Virginia includes all jointly titled property and everything acquired by either party during the marriage that is not explicitly considered separate property. Separate property can be an asset or a debt that was:

• Present prior to the marriage
• Acquired after the separation
• Inherited
• Given to one spouse by a third party

In Virginia, property can be considered part marital and part separate. If the value of separate property is increased through the shared efforts of two spouses, it can lead to its reclassification as either a marital asset or a partial marital asset.

Because Virginia divides property according to an equitable distribution statute, there’s no need for assets and debts to be divided equally. Instead, the court considers factors like the relative contributions of each party to the marriage, family, and the acquisition of or care for the marital property.

Determining Child Custody

Child custody is often one of the most fiercely fought aspects of a divorce. In this case, Virginia courts are guided by just one standard: the child’s best interests. The court can either award sole legal custody to one parent or joint legal custody to both parents, wherein they share the responsibility for making decisions for the child.

Factors that go into determining who receives custody of a child can include:

• The child’s age
• The parents’ ages
• Each parent’s physical and mental conditions
• The child’s relationship with each parent
• The role each parent had in bringing up the child
• The household where the child will live

If the child is old enough to contribute to making the decision, their wishes will also be taken into consideration.

Parents who do not agree about child custody arrangements should always seek legal representation to make sure their rights are safeguarded and that their children’s best interests are prioritized.

Child Support and Spousal Support

There are two types of payments that one spouse may be required to make to the other following the divorce. The first is child support, which varies depending on whether parents share custody of the child. Whether child support gets awarded depends on the time-sharing schedule, differences in the spouses’ incomes, and other factors.

Spousal support payments are different. Also known as alimony, spousal support is awarded to lessen the financial impact of the divorce on the more financially dependent spouse. It isn’t awarded in all cases. When determining whether to impose alimony payments and how much to award, the court considers details such as each spouse’s:

• Age
• Assets
• Earning potential
• Contribution to the marriage

The court will also consider the duration of the marriage. Spousal support can be awarded as periodic payments or a lump sum.

FAQs

Your Manassas Family Law Attorney

Whether you’re planning to get divorced or need to have paternity testing performed, a Manassas family law attorney can provide knowledgeable counsel. The team at Taylor Huguley Powers PLLC has years of experience in family law. We’ve helped countless clients retain custody of their children, obtain the spousal support payments they need, and navigate the complexities of marital dissolution with ease. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.