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If you are a fan of Netflix, or if you watched the Oscars this year, you are familiar with Marriage Story. I stumbled across this movie shortly after it came out and decided to watch it, not knowing anything about the movie or what to expect.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and it's a good time to think about love. Rather than contemplate the joys of being "in" love, why not consider being "a" love with someone? Being in love is a wonderful, intense sensation - but that- is all it is: a sensation. It is a chemical reaction that lasts 7-17 months, and the end can be a real let down. Being a love means being a partner in life, someone who is a source of support, growth and affection. Being a love "with" someone means finding the person or persons who return what you give in equal amounts.

Sharing a home is a huge responsibility. When one or more people live together, particularly if they own the home, it is a good idea to put the rules of the road in writing. This is known as a cohabitation agreement. Couples, roommates, even family can enter into a cohabitation agreement to cover the essential issues that might become difficult if the living arrangement falters.

These days, more and more divorcing couples are opting to pursue alternatives to litigation like mediation and collaborative divorce. When these processes are over and an agreement has been reached, there are still some important formalities to complete in order to be legally divorced in Virginia.

Family law matters can be some of the most intimate, stressful, difficult legal procedures that a person goes through in their lifetime. Picking the right professionals to assist with the process is critical to assuring an acceptable outcome. We recently outlined the types of professionals that are used in family law matters. Here are a few tips about what to look for in a professional.

In Family Law, we often need to use experts to help with the process. An expert is someone with specific and in-depth knowledge of a particular subject matter who gets brought into the process to advise on the matter in which they are experts. They are used because there may be complex assets or implications on decisions that are not obvious to the layperson.

Remember when receipt of a coffee mug emblazoned with "Best Mom Ever" or a T-shirt proclaiming "Best Dad Ever" was enough to validate someone's skills and aptitude as a parent?

What comes next? Whether by trial or alternative dispute resolution, there comes a point when the final papers have been filed and the Judge has signed the Final Order of Divorce. Before breathing a sigh of relief that it's over, the signing of the Final Order of Divorce may legally end the marriage, but it is not the last step. There are further steps that parties must take in order to wrap up the variety of loose ends.

Is your marriage suffering from an invisible divorce? Couples can reach a point in their relationship where they have grown so far apart that, without being acknowledged, the marriage has failed. Rather than take proactive steps to resolve this in-between state, couples can go for years, trapped in a situation that no longer fulfills the basic expectations of a marriage.

What is it like to mediate a dispute when represented by counsel? When meditating a dispute, parties can represent themselves, or they can be represented by counsel.  There are different mediation scenarios in which counsel may be involved, and counsels' role differs in each, and may differ depending upon the mediator. Here are some answers to questions about mediating while represented by counsel.