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Once the thought of separation and divorce enters your mind, your second thought should be about process. It is never too soon for you and your spouse to seek information about options. When you understand your options, you are in a better position to make informed decisions about how to move forward.

Every family is different, and often the parent of a child marries another adult who wants to play a part in the life of the child. Where both biological parents continue to be interested in maintaining their parental rights, there are limits to a step-parent's legal right to assume a parental role for the child. However, in many instances, there are opportunities for an adult to have their relationship with a step-child recognized by the court.

When parents split up, children are forced out of the lives they know into unknown territory. No matter the level of acrimony, this transition is difficult, and often traumatic. While each family is different, and many factors can impact how children survive and thrive with this major change, parents can take some specific steps to ease the kids into a new normal.

In Episode 15, of our Podcast, Kate talks with Kelly McLaughlan. Kelly is the owner and originator of KME Digital that is a digital marketing agency in Fairfax, Virginia. They discussed what it is like launching a business as a woman for Women's History Month, sharing their knowledge on creating and growing a business as a woman.

In Episode 14 of our podcast, Kate talks with Dr. Kevin Miller. Dr. Miller provides therapy to adults of all ages. He also has extensive experience addressing relationship difficulties, including marital, dating, family, and workplace relationships. He uses an integrative therapeutic style, incorporating existential psychology. We are going to be discussing How to Start the Conversation with your Spouse to Avoid Divorce.

In 2021, the Virginia legislature took a major step in acknowledging and encouraging the Collaborative Law Process in Virginia by passing the Uniform Collaborative Law Act (UCLA). More general than collaborative divorce, this new law is a significant development in alternative dispute resolution of family law matters in Virginia. The new law clarifies certain critical issues, providing guidance to attorneys as well as Virginia judges with respect to Collaborative Law. Contact Reese Law today to speak with a collaborative divorce attorney in Northern VA.

New Year Financial planning requires teamwork on so many levels, and finances take a lot of communication, trust and planning. One of the leading causes of divorce is a disconnect between couples on money issues. Whether you are in a strained place in your relationship or taking steps to make sure you don't get there, it's important to take a thorough look at your finances to make sure things are in order. In our most recent podcast, Getting Your Finances Together for the New Year and Beyond, Kate Reese, a divorce attorney serving Northern VA, had the chance to talk to Jamie Blum, a divorce financial consultant and litigation support manager with Councilor, Buchanan and Mitchell, a CPA firm. Kate and Jamie identified some key areas of financial organization and thought.

When custody is shared between two households, the holidays can be a challenge. As a time traditionally spent with family, it can be difficult when the children can only be one place at a time. Over the decades that we've worked in family law in Northern Virginia, we've learned that this can turn joy into stress for the parents and the children. In our latest podcast, we discuss the issue, and we identify four ways to help minimize difficulties.

When it comes to a change in family relationships and new custodial arrangements, the transition and implementation can get bitter and divisive. Some of this is a natural byproduct of change, but other issues arise because the underlying relationships were negative already. To lessen the impact of these factors, parents and other custodians need to be careful to avoid some critical mistakes that add to the challenge.

When a family dynamic goes sour, it impacts everyone's mental health. When taking steps to resolve the conflict, an often overlooked yet critical focus needs to be self-care. In the latest Family Matters podcast, Kate Reese had the chance to speak to Alexandra Herrera, MA-ATR, LPC, about this topic. They looked at why self-care is so essential, signs and symptoms to look out for, and some helpful self-care techniques that everyone should practice.