Lieutenant Robinson, U.S. Navy Flight Instructor, 1993

All Rights Reserved. Copyright 1999 by Ronald Robinson.

How to Waste Money in Your Virginia Divorce*

1.  Hire a lawyer who doesn't use email and PDF files.

2.  Call or send your lawyer an email as often as you think about your case.

3.  Hire a lawyer based in Alexandria for your case in Manassas.

4.  Have your lawyer spend two hours on how to split a $213.56 marital debt with your spouse.

5.  Refuse to work on a reasonable settlement of your case because you "just want the judge to decide".

6.  Send your lawyer a tall stack of unorganized and well stapled documents.

7.  Instead of following your Virginia divorce lawyer's advice, follow your co-worker's advice since she went through a "very similar" divorce eleven years ago in North Carolina.

8.  Question your lawyer's every move (no matter how big or small) and put those television episodes of "Divorce Court" and "Boston Legal" to good use.

9.  Refuse to do the homework assigned to you by your Virginia divorce lawyer.  Tell him "that's your job."

* Note: If you don't like blunt honesty and/or humor from your lawyer, do not hire Mr. Robinson.

How to Prioritize Your Limited Money in Your Divorce*

1.  Hire a Virginia divorce lawyer to handle all aspects of your case/matter/settlement.

2.  Hire a Virginia divorce lawyer to handle only out-of-court matters OR only in-court matters.

3.  Hire a Virginia divorce lawyer to both negotiate and draft a written settlement agreement.

4.  Hire a Virginia divorce lawyer to draft a written settlement agreement in which all issues have already been agreed upon/settled between you and your spouse.

5.  Hire a Virginia divorce lawyer to consult with you and review a written settlement agreement drafted by your spouse's lawyer.

6.  Lastly, if you believe you only have several hundred dollars to spend, then hire a Virginia divorce lawyer to consult with for an hour or two (From a cost vs. benefit perspective, this is the best money you will spend in or on your Virginia divorce/family law matter).

* Note: If you don't like blunt honesty and/or humor from your lawyer, do not hire Mr. Robinson.

How to Pay a Little Money Now Instead of a Lot of Money Later in Your Virginia Divorce*

1.  Do not wait to consult with a divorce lawyer.  Having a consultation does not mean you are divorcing, but it will help you avoid making really bad decisions based upon myth, legend and what you "read on the internet".

2.  If you have the money, then don't "go cheap" and try to do your own marital settlement agreement by downloading something from the internet.  Hire a local divorce lawyer to draft the agreement.  Expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $1,500 for a good and comprehensive agreement that takes your particular situation fully into account.  Otherwise, if you "go cheap" now you will likely end up paying many thousands of dollars in a few years when the deficiencies of your $29.99 internet agreement land you in court.

* Note: If you don't like blunt honesty and/or humor from your lawyer, do not hire Mr. Robinson.

How to Prolong or Damage Your Virginia Divorce*

1.  Wait until the last minute to hire a Virginia divorce lawyer.

2.  Lie to your divorce lawyer.  Tell half-truths to your divorce lawyer.  Keep your divorce lawyer in the dark. Wait until the last possible moment to tell your divorce lawyer the "whole story."

3.  Be irrational, unreasonable or rude (or better yet, all three simultaneously), especially in a deposition or in court.

4.  Do as much as you can to "get back at" your spouse, such as wasting or damaging property, sharing your disagreements with your children, sabotaging your spouse's employment, alienating your spouse's relatives, etc.

5.  Tell your Virginia divorce lawyer that "money is not important, I just want to win."

* Note: If you don't like blunt honesty and/or humor from your lawyer, do not hire Mr. Robinson.

How to Launch Your Virginia Divorce (Some Options to Consider)*

1.  Work on a settlement agreement with your spouse before filing for divorce.

2.  Work on a settlement agreement with your divorce lawyer before filing for divorce.

3.  Work on a settlement agreement with your spouse and your respective divorce lawyers before filing for divorce.

4.  File for divorce and then try to work on a settlement agreement.

* Note: If you don't like blunt honesty and/or humor from your lawyer, do not hire Mr. Robinson.