Divorce, separation, and other family law issues can be highly stressful. Emotions tend to run high when spouses and other loved ones are involved in legal disputes, which is why our attorneys are dedicated to using alternatives to court, such as collaborative law, mediation, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
If it is necessary to try your case in court, we will be well prepared. We are experienced litigators in Juvenile Court, Circuit Court, the Virginia Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Our Family Law Services
Divorce
Divorce can be a complex and challenging process. Having an experienced family lawyer on your side during a divorce can help you make clear, proactive decisions for your family’s future.
Under the appropriate circumstances, mediation – or collaborative divorce – may be the best approach. By working with one of our attorneys, you and your spouse can negotiate to resolve any issues, reaching a flexible agreement that satisfies both parties and avoids the need for litigation. During either mediation or collaboration, our attorneys can provide legal advice, guidance, and clarification; review and evaluate proposed agreements; and prepare court documents.
Although both collaboration and mediation are ideal options for resolving a divorce case, not every situation can be resolved in this manner. In cases that are not appropriate for mediation or collaboration, our attorneys will use their extensive trial experience to help you pursue the best possible outcome, protect your finances, and protect the rights of you and your children.
Property Division
For many people, fairly dividing finances, possessions, debts, and assets during a divorce is one of the most daunting aspects of the process. We can approach property division in two ways: either you and your spouse come to a mutual agreement through collaboration, mediation, or traditional negotiation, or a judge will decide how your property is divided in court. It is best to attempt an out-of-court agreement before submitting your property dispute to court, and we can assist you with every step of the process to ensure that you are treated fairly. If your situation does not allow for mediation or collaboration, our lawyers will use their extensive trial experience to help you pursue the best possible outcome.
Our divorce attorneys can help you investigate the household and business finances of both you and your spouse before initiating divorce proceedings so you can:
- Accurately assess the full extent of property and finances
- Reduce the odds that your spouse will conceal assets from you
- Avoid accusations of hiding assets yourself
We understand the difficulty of divorce proceedings. We take the emotions out of the equation and approach property division from a calm, experienced point of view.
Child Custody, Visitation & Support
If you have children and are considering separation or divorce, child custody and support are important issues. Our divorce attorneys handle child custody, support, and visitation matters for clients who are entering into a divorce, as well as parents who have never been married.
Our goal is always to help parents decide what is best for their children. We encourage our clients to negotiate, collaborate, or mediate a private settlement agreement whenever possible. Private settlements are not only less expensive than litigation in court, but it is also best if parents can agree on the circumstances between themselves. In those rare cases where settlement is impossible, we are prepared to represent our clients in court vigorously.
Virginia Child Support Guidelines
The amount of child support you owe or receive is based upon many factors, including the decisions made about child custody and parenting time, each parent’s income, and costs for health insurance and child care. We will carefully analyze each proposed child support order to ensure it complies with Virginia state guidelines.
Spousal Support (“Alimony”)
Spousal Support is a legal obligation to provide financial support to a former spouse after marital separation or divorce. This is typically an aspect of divorce proceedings, and our Family Law attorneys will help you arrive at the right amount of spousal support for your situation.
Prenuptial Agreements
A prenuptial agreement is a legal contract a couple creates and signs before their marriage. This enables the couple to select and control many legal rights upon marrying and what happens when their marriage ends by death or divorce. Prenuptial agreements also aid in divorce settlements, as many potential disputes have already been agreed upon, such as property division, right to seek alimony, finances, and more.
Our experienced Family Law attorneys can help soon-to-be-married couples create and sign their prenuptial agreements right in our downtown Harrisonburg office.
Adoption
Our attorneys represent both adoptive couples and birth parents in all aspects of adoption.
Separation Agreements
Separation agreements are legal documents that determine how a divorcing couple will handle their divorce-related issues, including child custody, property division, and spousal support. We can work with you to create, understand, and sign this document.