I spent yesterday attending the Virginia Trial Lawyer Association's 2013 Family Law Seminar titled "Everything You Wanted to Know About Child and Spousal Support".  I learned a lot that I'm eager to share with my clients!

-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.  For help with your child and spousal support needs, please contact me at (434)293-4562 or email me at rob@robhagylaw.com.

In the  case of Patterson v. Patterson, the Virginia Court of Appeals, in an unpublished opinion, ruled that a wife was entitled to $2,150.00 per month in spousal support.  The parties had been married for twenty-six years and that three children were born of the marriage.  Further, the husband was in good physical condition.  The wife's physical condition was deteriorating.  She had been diagnosed with lymphoma, lupus, and diabetes.  During the marriage, both parties worked, although husband was the "primary breadwinner" and wife was the "primary caretaker of the children."  Both parties contributed one hundred percent of their activities and energies, both monetary and non-monetary, to the marriage and the well being of their family throughout the majority of their marriage.  Wife's physical condition limits her employment skills in the future.  Wife showed a need for spousal support and husband has shown an ability to provide it.  The trial court properly deemed some of husband's monthly expenses as excessive.  The court disregarded the husband's recreation and charitable donations.  The court disregarded the money he pays his adult daughter and
the excessive expenses he listed for automobile costs.  The court also properly reduced the excessive monthly debt payments the husband claims he makes.

Husband also asserts that the trial court should have considered wife’s earning capacity; however, husband presented no evidence as to what wife may have been
able to earn. To the contrary, the evidence was that wife was on permanent
disability and unable to work.



-Rob Hagy
of Rob Hagy Law, Charlottesville Divorce and Spousal Support
Lawyer.  For answers to your questions about
spousal support, please contact me at (434)293-4562 or email me at rob@robhagylaw.com. 

Please click here to read a new blog entry on posted on the Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer Blog.

-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.

Interesting article today from U.S. News and World Report.


-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.

Extraordinarily scary facts in this case.  The victim is lucky to be alive.

-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.  For help with issues like these, please call me a (434)293-4562 or email me at rob@robhagylaw.com.

In May of 2013, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted a rule of civil procedure eliminating parenting coordinators
because the appointment of such individuals to make decisions or  recommendations or alter a custody order in child custody cases constituted an improper delegation of judicial decision making authority.  View the law.com article here for the complete story. 

There may be room for a similar argument to be made in Virginia.  Occasionally judges will permit guardians ad litem to set visitation schedules while cases are pending.  This also seems to be an improper delegation of judicial decision making authority.


-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.  For help with questions
about guardians ad litem, please contact me at (434)293-4562 or by emailing me
at rob@robhagylaw.com. 

It depends!  Click here to find out how long it will take for you to get divorced.

-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.

 The South Dakota Supreme Court struck down a Defendant's attempt to argue that he could not be found guilty of bigamy because bigamous marriages are void ab initio.  This isn't the first time a Defendant has tried this argument.  In fact, a criminal defendant in Virginia in a case from Amelia County tried the exact same approach and failed.

-Rob Hagy, Greene County Divorce Lawyer.

Couples are increasingly battling over their pets during divorce.

-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.

Another superb article with some practical (as opposed to legal advice) for successfully navigating your way through your divorce.

-Rob Hagy, Charlottesville Divorce Lawyer.