Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas | Fredericksburg
Family Law Attorneys · Annandale, Virginia
The decision is made. Now comes the hardest stretch.
Between deciding to divorce and the day it is final, an Annandale family lives in an in between place, often for a full year when there are children. We help you use that time well and protect what matters, with the case filed in Fairfax County. Reach us when you are ready.
Just a conversation to start, with no obligation.
You Are Not Alone
All over Annandale, families are living through this same in between season. None of them do it alone, and you will not be alone in it.
6 mo.
of Virginia residency before a case can open
Va. Code § 20-97
1 yr.
living apart before a no fault divorce when you have children
Va. Code § 20-91
90
overnights a year is where shared custody changes the support math
Va. Code § 20-108.2
50+
years standing beside Northern Virginia families
Three offices, one focus
What We Handle
A steady hand for Annandale families.
The months between deciding and finishing are when the real protections get built. Here is the work we take on so the waiting period works for you.
Looking for a family law attorney near Annandale? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Annandale clients with separation agreements, divorce, custody, child support, and spousal support, and makes the waiting period count. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The question in front of you.
01
Contested Divorce
When you cannot agree on the children or the finances, a Fairfax judge decides. We prepare your case carefully, settle what we can, and try the rest when needed.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Fairness, not a clean fifty fifty, is how Virginia splits a marriage's property. We argue each statutory factor so the outcome mirrors the life you built together.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
The home, the accounts, the retirement savings, we account for and value each marital asset so the division comes out clear and final.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
Long before a divorce is final, this one document does the real protecting. We draft your separation agreement to settle money, home, and children on your terms, not a judge's.
First Protection 05Child Support
Once each parent passes 90 overnights a year, the support formula changes and the result surprises people. We run the shared custody math so the number is right.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
We build a parenting plan you can live by through the waiting year and well past it, steady for the children and workable for both of you.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support turns on income, need, and how long you were married. We work through a fair amount and term, and how it can change later.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Some Annandale families include a service member or federal worker. We divide military and federal retirement by the strict rules those benefits follow.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where an Annandale case lands.
Annandale is part of Fairfax County, so an Annandale case is heard in the county courts in downtown Fairfax. Both share the Fairfax County Courthouse at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, and the one you appear in depends on what you are asking the court to settle.
Circuit Court
Fairfax County Circuit Court
19th Judicial Circuit
HearsThe divorce, and how the marital property and the debts are split.
DecidesEquitable distribution, with support and custody when they belong to the divorce.
WhereDowntown Fairfax at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, a short trip from Annandale.
NoteVirginia's largest trial court, so its calendar tends to govern how fast a contested case moves.
J&DR Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Family matters outside a divorce
HearsCustody, parenting time, child support, and protective orders on their own.
StartCases usually open at the Court Services Unit intake before a hearing is set.
WhereWithin the same Fairfax courthouse on Chain Bridge Road.
NoteYou file where you and your spouse last lived together, which for Annandale couples is Fairfax County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What we wish every couple knew.
The year you wait for a no fault divorce is not dead time. It is when a good agreement gets built.
- 1
Start the agreement early
A separation agreement is binding the day you both sign, and it can settle everything before a judge is ever involved. The sooner it is right, the calmer the year goes.
- 2
Know what living apart means
For the no fault clock to run, you have to live separate and apart, which can happen under one roof if it is done correctly. We make sure the year actually counts.
- 3
Count the overnights
If you are near an even split, crossing 90 overnights a year changes the child support formula. Track the schedule, because it moves the number for both of you.
Why Families Trust Us
The kind of help that gets the year right.
The waiting period rewards good planning. You want counsel that uses the time instead of just running out the clock.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of steadying Annandale families through separation and divorce.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the entire practice, from separation agreements to the shared custody math.
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 Annandale families and others across Fairfax County.
Recognition
Recognition that follows careful work.
We have walked Annandale families through the long in between of a divorce and helped them reach the end with a plan they could live by.
Our commitment to Annandale
Client Voices
Annandale families in their own words.
Read what Annandale clients have shared about working through separation and divorce with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Honest answers, plain and simple.
These are the questions Annandale families ask first. If yours is not below, we are glad to answer it.
Wondering how this applies to you?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Where do Annandale residents file for divorce?
Annandale is in Fairfax County, so the divorce is filed at the Fairfax County Circuit Court at 4110 Chain Bridge Road. Custody and support brought on their own start at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in the same courthouse.
Why is the wait a full year for us?
Because you have children. Virginia allows a six month wait only when a couple has no minor children and a signed agreement. With children, the no fault waiting period is a full year of living apart before the divorce can be finished.
Can we live apart under one roof?
Yes, if you do it correctly. You have to genuinely live separate lives, separate finances, separate rooms, and stop presenting as a couple, and it helps to have someone who can confirm it. We make sure the arrangement actually counts toward the year.
How does shared custody change child support?
Once each parent has the children at least 90 overnights a year, Virginia switches to a shared custody formula. The result often surprises both sides, since more time can shift the number in ways people do not expect. We run it so there are no surprises.
How long does it take?
With children, plan on at least the one year separation before a no fault divorce can be final, longer if issues are contested. A signed agreement keeps the rest moving smoothly. We help you use the year rather than just wait it out.
Before You Decide
Reading for the waiting months.
Plain English guides Annandale families reach for most during the waiting period.
A
The Document That Protects You First
Why the separation agreement, not the final decree, does the real work of protecting an Annandale family.
Annandale GuideBThe One-Year Wait With Children
What the one year rule really requires, what counts as living apart, and how to use the time well.
No-Fault DivorceCShared Custody and Support
How crossing 90 overnights a year changes the child support formula, and why the result surprises people.
Child SupportWhen You Are Ready
One step now, and we walk it with you.
Tell us what is going on in your Annandale case, and we will help you use the time ahead well.