Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Aurora Highlands, Virginia
The divorce is final, but life kept changing.
For Aurora Highlands families, the first order is not always the last word. A job loss, a move, a raise, or a parent who stops following the plan can all call for a change, or for enforcement. We help you modify or enforce a Virginia order, with the case heard at the Arlington County Justice Center. Reach us when you are ready.
A first call is steady, and it is free.
You Are Not Alone
Around Aurora Highlands, plenty of parents are living with an order that no longer fits, or one the other side ignores. None of them do it alone, and neither will you.
Material change
the key to modifying custody or support
Va. Code § 20-108
Enforce
a court can hold a party who ignores an order in contempt
Show cause
17th
Judicial Circuit, where Arlington cases are decided
Arlington County Circuit Court
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law help for Aurora Highlands families.
When an order no longer fits your life, or the other side will not follow it, the work is changing it or enforcing it the right way. Here is what we take on.
Looking for a family law attorney near Aurora Highlands? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Aurora Highlands families modify and enforce custody, support, and spousal support orders, and handles divorce, with cases at the Arlington County Justice Center. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter that came back around.
01
Contested Divorce
When a change is fought, an Arlington judge decides. We show the material change and why the new arrangement serves you and your children.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
A finalized property division is generally permanent, but we help you enforce its terms when a spouse does not do what the decree requires.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
If a retirement transfer ordered in your divorce was never carried out, we help you get the orders entered and enforced so you receive what you were awarded.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
Agreements can include their own rules for change. We review yours and, where it allows, help you adjust support or parenting by consent.
First Protection 05Child Support
Income and custody change over time. We move to raise, lower, or enforce child support so it matches what the guideline calls for now.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
When circumstances change in a real way, a custody or visitation order can be modified. We bring the request on the child's best interest, with the new facts.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support can often be modified when income or circumstances change, unless your agreement fixed it. We handle the motion either way.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Military and federal benefits divided in a divorce sometimes need follow-up orders. We make sure the right order is entered and honored by the plan.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where an Aurora Highlands case is heard.
Aurora Highlands sits in south Arlington, near Crystal City and the Pentagon. The court that entered your order usually handles a change to it. Custody and support modifications run through the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court; decree terms go to the Arlington County Circuit Court, both inside the Arlington County Justice Center at 1425 North Courthouse Road.
Circuit Court
Arlington County Circuit Court
17th Judicial Circuit
HearsEnforcement of a divorce decree, and modification of support set in it.
DecidesWhether a decree term was violated, and what relief follows.
Where1425 North Courthouse Road, in the Courthouse neighborhood, the 17th Judicial Circuit.
NoteA property division in a final decree is generally not reopened.
J&DR Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Family matters outside a divorce
HearsModification and enforcement of custody, visitation, and child support.
StartA motion to amend or a show cause opens the case.
WhereThe same Justice Center on North Courthouse Road, Suite 4100.
NoteThe court that entered the order usually handles the change.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What I tell Aurora Highlands clients about changing an order.
An order is a living thing when children are involved. When life changes in a real way, the order can change with it.
- 1
Modification needs a real change
Courts do not reopen orders lightly. You generally have to show a material change since the last order, a new job, a move, a real shift in the children's needs, before a judge will revisit custody or support.
- 2
Enforcement has teeth
When a parent stops paying or ignores the schedule, a show cause asks the court to enforce the order. A judge can order makeup time, back support, and in serious cases hold the other party in contempt.
- 3
Do not just stop on your own
If money is tight or the plan is not working, the answer is to ask the court to change the order, not to stop paying or withhold the children. Self-help can put you in the wrong, even when your reason is real.
Why Families Trust Us
Help to change or enforce an order.
When an order no longer fits, or the other side will not follow it, you want counsel who knows how Virginia handles modification and enforcement.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of handling modification and enforcement for Arlington families.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, post-divorce matters included.
Authority
AV
Preeminent Rated
Peer rated AV Preeminent, listed in Super Lawyers, and rated 10.0 on Avvo.
Trust
5★
Verified Reviews
Verified five star reviews from Aurora Highlands families and others across Northern Virginia.
Recognition
Recognition that lasts past the decree.
We have helped Aurora Highlands families update orders that no longer fit and enforce ones the other side ignored, so the result on paper became the reality at home.
Our commitment to Aurora Highlands
From Our Clients
Aurora Highlands families in their own words.
Read what Aurora Highlands clients have shared about modifying or enforcing an order with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, about modification and enforcement.
These are the questions Aurora Highlands families ask first. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about changing an order?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Can I change a custody order?
Yes, when there is a material change in circumstances since the last order and the change serves the child's best interest. A new job, a move, or a real shift in the child's needs can all qualify. The court looks at the current facts.
Can child support be changed?
Yes. Either parent can ask the court to recalculate when incomes or custody change, or after enough time has passed. Support is set by the state guideline on current numbers, so it can go up or down.
What if my ex will not pay or follow the order?
You can file a show cause asking the court to enforce it. A judge can order back support, makeup parenting time, attorney fees, and in serious cases hold the other party in contempt. Bring your records.
Can I stop paying if I lose my job?
No. The order stays in force until a court changes it, so the right step is to file for a modification quickly. Simply stopping builds an arrears that does not go away and can carry penalties.
Where do I file to modify or enforce?
Usually in the court that entered the order. Custody and child support changes run through the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court at the Arlington County Justice Center, 1425 North Courthouse Road; decree terms go to the Circuit Court in the same building.
Before You Decide
Reading when things change.
Plain English guides Aurora Highlands families reach for most.
A
How Do I Get a Divorce in Virginia?
The plain English overview of grounds, timelines, and the steps to a final decree.
Virginia GuideBCo-Parenting and Notice
How notice and a parenting schedule work between two homes.
Co-ParentingCWho Pays the Bills?
How couples handle the mortgage, the cards, and everyday costs during a separation.
SeparationWhen You Are Ready
When you are ready, let's fix the order.
Tell us what changed or what is not being followed, and we will help you modify or enforce your order in Aurora Highlands.