V – Washington DC Family Law Dictionary
VAWA – Violence Against Women Acts of 1994 and 2000.
VACATE – to set aside.
VACATE THE MARITAL HOME, MOTION TO – a motion to the court requiring that one party (usually the husband) be forced to leave the marital home.
VACATING ORDER – a court order terminating or rescinding a prior order, such as a stay-away order.
VALUATION DATE – the date an asset is appraised for divorce purposes.
VALUATION PROCESS – a systematic procedure employed to provide the answer to a client’s question about real property value.
VENUE – the county in which the court with jurisdiction will hear the matter.
VERIFICATION STATEMENT – an oath stating that the information in a document is true.
VESTED INTEREST – a term used to describe the equity a person has in certain assets.
VIATICAL VALUE – the value of a term life insurance policy that is sold to a third party.
VISITATION – the right of the parent who does not have physical custody to see his or her child.
VISITATION SCHEDULE – a list of dates stating times each parent may see each child.
VISITATION RIGHTS – settled and court-ordered privileges granting the noncustodial parent, grandparent or interested third parties the right to visit a child at fixed times and dates and for a fixed duration.
VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION – a court ordered examination of a person’s skills, talents and competence, designed to investigate the basis of his or her claim of unemployability.
VOID MARRIAGE – a marriage nullified ab initio.
VOIDABLE MARRIAGE – a marriage nullified nunc pro tunc.
VOLUNTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT – the act of a man who signs a written declaration that he is the father of a child.
VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE (VSI) – a particular kind of military retirement benefit.