If you are doing business with the Department of Defense (DoD), you need to be aware of the Dec. 31, 2017, deadline to comply with the DFARS’ new Cybersecurity mandate. DoD requires all contractors to provide assurance to DoD that their IT systems will provide an acceptable level of security when receiving information determined by […]
Unbundling As A Means Of Financing Bankruptcy Fees And Working Without A “Wet” Signature
Previously published in the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal: Download as PDF Debtors are required to pay a filing fee in order to commence voluntary bankruptcy cases, and the U.S. Supreme Court has sustained the constitutionality of the filing fee as a predicate to the debtor receiving a discharge.1 Cases are subject to dismissal if the […]
Preventing And Responding To Sexual Harassment
The allegations regarding outrageous sexual harassment actions in recent headlines have opened discussions about how many people have been affected by inappropriate conduct themselves. We’ve seen more and more women come forward to begin to share their personal experiences regarding harassment. What can you as an employer do to reinforce your corporate commitment to prohibiting […]
Notices Of Deployment May Lead To Notices Of FMLA Leave
The Washington, D.C. metro area is a hub for our servicemen and servicewomen. With the recent announcement that the military is substantially increasing troop levels in Afghanistan, we remind area employers that the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) grants employees with military family members special leave rights. FMLA leave for military families falls under […]
Cohabitating With A Person Of The Same Sex After Divorce Can Terminate Your Alimony
Virginia Code Section 20-109 states that spousal support/alimony shall terminate if the recipient spouse “has been habitually cohabiting with another person in a relationship analogous to a marriage for one year or more.” The terms “cohabiting” and “analogous to a marriage” mean more than simply living in the same house, and that will be the subject […]
Spousal Support In Virginia
Virginia recognizes the need for one spouse to receive spousal support (alimony) from the other in certain situations but not every case. Generally speaking, spousal support is based on income of the parties, the payor’s ability to pay and the recipient’s need. A spouse in need can petition a court for temporary spousal support under Virginia […]
Adultery Is Not “No Harm, No Foul”
Adultery is often committed in secret or without the innocent spouse’s knowledge. Some states, including Florida, for example, consider adultery to be a “No Harm – No Foul,” concept and grant a divorce based on one party’s desire to end the marriage. Virginia, on the other hand, is a fault-based state, which considers statutorily prescribed fault in […]
Verbal Agreements To Modify A Child Support Order
Every person obligated to pay child support must be aware that a child support order remains in full force and effect until it is modified by a new child support order. However, many payors — those responsible for paying child support — will often informally modify a child support order, and that can be a […]