Carolyn Goodman

Attorney At Law

DC Divorce: Who Gets the Dog?

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Pet CUstody During Separation or Divorce

Often pets become an issue when you separate.

We all love our pets and we consider them part of our family. This can be a difficult issue when you separate from your spouse.

  • Who will keep the dog?
  • Who will be responsible for daily walks, feeding, vet bills, making health decisions, etc.?
  • Will I be able to see my dog if my spouse has the family dog?

These are all important questions and can become a source of additional stress when you separate.  A Marital Settlement Agreement can include financial terms and other agreements related to the care of a pet after separation and divorce and whether or not the person who is not caring for the family pet on a daily basis still has visitation rights. You may want to consider who will be responsible for making health care decisions for your dog and whether the vet bills and dog-walking or boarding costs will be shared.

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Uncontested Divorce in DC

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I am contacted often and asked how to file for an Uncontested Divorce in DC. It is important to first decide whether your divorce is truly uncontested.

Even though you and your spouse may be friendly and everything is amicable, if you have any assets that accumulated during your marriage, even if you have kept most or all of your finances separately titled, you may still need to have a Separation and Property Settlement Agreement (Marital Settlement Agreement) to be sure you are protected in the future.

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Filing for An Uncontested Divorce in DC

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An Uncontested Divorce is one in which you and your spouse have resolved all issues in your marriage, for example, a division of your property, child support and custody or a parenting plan, division of retirement plans, etc. If you have worked out the various issues, it is important to have a written Agreement drafted that indicates how everything will be settled.  All potential issues, such as property ownership, debt division, tax issues, child support, and custody, etc. are then resolved prior to filing for divorce.

If you do not have a written Agreement, you may not be able to proceed with a simple uncontested divorce. In order to file for an Uncontested Divorce and attend a simple hearing, you must be able to show that all property and other rights are settled.

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DC Divorce and DC Prenuptial Agreements

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Enjoy listening to a recent radio interview in which I speak about a variety of family law issues such as DC Divorce and DC Prenuptial Agreements.

I touch on topics such as DC Uncontested Divorce, DC Contested Divorce, DC Prenuptial Agreements, and an assortment of other issues, including information about documents to have in place before you marry.  There is also a discussion about negotiating settlements rather than spending a great deal of family funds on going to court where you may lose control of the outcome of your situation.

There is also a discussion about having a Prenuptial Agreement in place so you can work out how you will deal with your family finances once you are married.  In addition, the interviewer suggested that it is best to speak with a family lawyer/divorce attorney so you know what your rights are and what documents you should have.

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What Happens To Retirement In Divorce?

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How will your retirement be divided in your divorce?

My clients are often surprised when I tell them that their retirement assets may be considered marital property. If you accumulated the funds during your marriage, they may be divided  as part of your divorce. However, you may have other marital assets to divide as well.  All of your marital property will be taken into account when deciding how to deal with your retirement plans.

It is important to understand your options so you can make an educated decision about what is best in your situation.

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Divorce and Separation Agreements

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When you and your spouse make the decision to separate and/or divorce, if you have children, their welfare is one of your major concerns.

If you choose to resolve things amicably, hopefully this will lead to a negotiated Separation Agreement.  You can tailor specific provisions in your Agreement to determine custody and separate access schedules so that both you and your spouse will have regular access/visitation time with your children.  

Moving forward and getting beyond the difficulties and resentments between you and your spouse so you can focus on the best interests of your children can be very emotionally challenging.

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Do I Need A Divorce Lawyer?

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A question I often hear is “Do I need a divorce lawyer?”

Even if you and your spouse agree on how to settle all the issues in your marriage, it is still very important that you be aware of all of your rights in order to protect yourself in the future.

It is best to have an attorney advise you as you negotiate a settlement with your spouse or have an attorney negotiate a settlement on your behalf. It is in your best interest to have an attorney draft a Separation Agreement for you.

This will help you in the future because you will then be sure that all issues are taken care of and that nothing will crop up in the future that will cause disagreements between you and your spouse.

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Same-Sex Divorce In DC

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The procedure for a same sex divorce in DC is the same as for any divorce in DC.  If there are any issues to be resolved such as division of property or other marital assets, custody, division of debts, etc., it is best to have a DC divorce lawyer draft a Marital Settlement Agreement to protect you.

You can file for a same sex uncontested divorce in Washington, DC if you meet the following requirements:

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Do I Need a Lawyer For A Separation Agreement?

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Sometimes people call and tell me that they have been thinking about using an online service to prepare their Separation Agreement and they want advice as to whether or not an attorney is really necessary.  

Usually, people think about this option because they are hoping to save money.

While there is no legal requirement that you have a lawyer, it is important to consider that when you sign an Agreement you are legally binding yourself to the terms.

It is extremely important to understand the issues that should be included in a Separation Agreement and to understand exactly what you are agreeing to.

It is very difficult to use a generic Agreement without understanding all the issues that must be resolved when you end your marriage.

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Questions And Answers

Your current situation has probably generated many questions. Here are some short answers to questions you may have about Divorce, Separation Agreements, Property Division, Child Custody and more.

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