Jefferson County, West Virginia, Family Law Blog

Most parents in West Virginia just want was is best for their children. Securing things like financial support after a divorce is often key to that hope. However, child support is not necessarily as cut and dried as some parents might think.

Figuring out the correct amount of child support takes time and a bit of flexibility. Judges generally consider things like parents' incomes and earning potential as well as parenting time and the child's standard of living. Judges also have the discretion to consider other factors that they deem relevant to the situation.

Untangling years or even decades of shared marital property is not a small undertaking. Aside from the financial interests that both you and your ex have, there are probably also significant emotional investments involved. This means that dealing with property division is more complicated than most people in West Virginia might think.

It is possible that despite these complicating factors, you and your ex could reach an amicable agreement on your own. However, more likely than not, you will hit a few roadblocks during the process. Whether you are fighting for an asset important to your financial and emotional well-being or your ex is trying to complicate matters, property division can quickly go south.

While people in West Virginia might not be big fans of debt, it might be difficult to find a person who does not have at least one credit card in his or her name. However, having a credit card does not mean that a person has a lot of debt. Indeed, many people use credit cards wisely to take advantage of point reward programs. While this might be advantageous, problems can arise during divorce. How does one even begin to split a credit card rewards point?

First, couples should determine whether the rewards points are separate or marital property. If a person opened a credit card before marriage and earned reward points exclusively before walking down the aisle, then these points are likely separate property. However, points earned after the marriage would be marital property. Even if one person opens up a solo credit card account in his or her name only, points earned during the marriage are generally still considered marital property.

Effectively co-parenting after divorce can be difficult but worthwhile for parents and children alike. However, working together with an ex-spouse is not always as easy it may seem. West Virginia parents who are considering co-parenting or wondering if they need to modify their child custody agreement should keep some of the following in mind.

Maintaining consistent rules and boundaries across both parents' households is a common feature of co-parenting. This might seem like a good idea until one parent is tired or does not want to upset the children, and gives in. While this should generally be avoided, life does happen, and parents should be ready to address these issues in a respectful manner.