News


Jace Padden to speak to Richmond Bar on Electronic Evidence

Posted on October 18, 2011 in General News

Whether we like it or not, the world has gone digital. Civil and criminal litigators alike are now routinely expected to acquire and use electronic evidence. The risk of doing so improperly may prove fatal to your client’s case. We have assembled a panel of experts to address topics such as basic computer forensics,

Probate: How to get started?

Posted on October 06, 2011 in Estate Planning, Personal Representation

Once you have decided that probate of the estate of a loved one is necessary, what do you do next?
First, you must decide who will serve as executor (if the decedent has died with a will) or administrator (if the decedent has died without a will). For guidance, you should first review the decedent’s will.

Considering Spousal/Child Support

Posted on October 03, 2011 in Child Support, Divorce, Family Law

Our laws which govern spousal support were modified on July 1, 1998 in Virginia. The Court can now award rehabilitative spousal support for a period of time based upon certain factors such as the education, training, employment history, decisions made regarding the care of the children, and physical and mental health of the party seeking support.

Probate: What and When?

Posted on September 30, 2011 in Estate Planning, Personal Representation

Probate is the process by which the assets of a person who has died (i.e., the “decedent”) are distributed to his or her heirs or beneficiaries and the debts of the decedent are satisfied by the decedent’s executor (if the decedent dies with a will) or the decedent’s administrator (if the decedent dies without a will).

Sam Kaufman featured in University of Richmond Magazine

Posted on September 20, 2011 in General News

Harnessing all of that Spider pride to lead the URAA, Kaufman will focus his presidency on engaging alumni and current students. Read the full article “New Alumni Association President Looks to Empower the Spider Network”.

Keeping your legal expenses under control

Posted on September 11, 2011 in General News

I think our firm does a better job than most in trying to keep our clients’ legal costs down, and in being sympathetic to the notion that individuals do not have unlimited funds with which to resolve their legal troubles. Still, as with any firm, we do occasionally have clients who conclude their representation with us being dissatisfied with the magnitude of their legal bill.

Reaching Settlement

Posted on September 03, 2011 in Divorce, Family Law

Often in a divorce action, the departing spouse, remorseful, may be eager to end the marriage. In his or her eagerness, this spouse will often make a more than generous offer to settle the domestic issues. In these cases, I often urge my client to look to the future, not to the past,

Keep it legal…

Posted on August 31, 2011 in Divorce, Personal Representation

In my last post, I described a list of potential avenues to consider when seeking to preserve or obtain evidence which might corroborate that a spouse is cheating. In that post, I also tried to emphasize that any evidence-gathering should be done lawfully. After all, while striving to corroborate one crime (yes,

What to do when you think your spouse is cheating…

Posted on August 15, 2011 in General News

Perhaps one of the most devastating things a spouse could discover about his or her partner is that he or she is cheating. Obviously, even the thought that a spouse might be committing adulteryis an emotional issue, which is best addressed by counselors and other mental health professionals, rather than attorneys.

Working through a Property Settlement Agreement

Posted on August 03, 2011 in Civil Litigation, Divorce, Family Law, Personal Representation

A Property Settlement Agreement or Separation Agreement is a contract, executed by husband and wife, in which the parties divide their marital assets and debts as well as settle any other issues arising out of the parties’ marriage. The goal of the Property Settlement Agreement is to settle as many issues as possible between the parties to avoid the time and expense of litigation.