Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Chantilly, Virginia
What happens to the kids? That is the question under all the others.
For most Chantilly parents, every other worry in a divorce sits beneath one big one: are the children going to be okay. We help you protect their footing and their future while we handle the rest, with the case filed in Fairfax County. Reach us whenever you are ready.
The first conversation is free and entirely yours.
You Are Not Alone
All across Chantilly, parents are carrying this same quiet question about their kids. None of them carry it alone, and you will not need to.
6 mo.
of Virginia residency before a case can begin
Va. Code § 20-97
10
factors guide every Virginia custody decision
Va. Code § 20-124.3
Neither
parent is favored by gender under Virginia custody law
Va. Code § 20-124.2
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law help for Chantilly families.
When children are at the heart of a divorce, the legal work has to put them first. Here is what we take on, with their future kept in view.
Searching for a family law attorney near Chantilly? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Chantilly clients with divorce, custody, child support, spousal support, and planning that protects a child's future. Speak with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter at your door.
01
Contested Divorce
When parents cannot agree on custody or the finances, a Fairfax judge decides. We prepare thoroughly, pursue a settlement that serves the children, and try the case when we must.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia aims for a fair division of marital property, not an automatic split down the middle. We work the statutory factors so the outcome fits your family.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
We sort what is marital from what is separate, value the home, the accounts, and the savings, and divide them so your children's stability is never an afterthought.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A clear agreement settles money, property, and the parenting plan before you ever file. We draft yours to protect the children first and leave nothing vague.
First Protection 05Child Support
Support follows a state guideline built on both incomes and the custody schedule. We make sure the number truly covers what raising your children costs.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
A parenting plan should fit your child's world, their school, their friends, their routine. We design custody and visitation that keep that world as steady as possible.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support steadies a household while it finds new footing. Whether you would pay or receive it, we work toward a figure and a term that are fair.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Some Chantilly families include a service member or federal worker. We divide military and federal retirement, and the survivor benefits, by their own rules.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Two Fairfax courts, one of them yours.
Chantilly is part of Fairfax County, so a Chantilly 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 itself, and how marital property and debt are divided.
DecidesEquitable distribution, and custody and support when they ride inside the divorce.
WhereDowntown Fairfax at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, east toward the city of Fairfax.
NoteThe court can decide custody as part of the divorce, always on the child's best interests.
J&DR Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Family matters outside a divorce
HearsCustody, parenting time, child support, and protective orders on their own.
StartMost custody and support cases open at the Court Services Unit intake.
WhereInside the same Fairfax courthouse on Chain Bridge Road.
NoteYou file where you and your spouse last lived together, which for Chantilly couples is Fairfax County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What we tell parents first.
Children do not get a vote in a divorce. So someone has to keep their interests at the center, and that is the real work.
- 1
Shield the kids from the conflict
Children do best when they are kept out of the middle. A clear parenting plan and calm handoffs protect them from the tension between their parents.
- 2
Plan for the future, not just the filing
Custody and support can be revisited as children grow. We build orders that flex with their needs instead of locking in today's snapshot.
- 3
Protect a child with special needs
A direct inheritance can cost a disabled child their benefits. The right trust holds the money for them instead, and a divorce is the moment to put it in place.
Why Families Trust Us
The steady help a parent can lean on.
When your children's world is at stake, you want counsel that is both deeply experienced and genuinely careful.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of guiding Chantilly parents through divorce, custody, and support.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, including the planning that protects a child's future.
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 Chantilly families and others across Fairfax County.
Recognition
Recognition that reflects the care we bring.
We have helped Chantilly parents divorce without letting their children become collateral, and we have built plans that protect those kids for years to come.
Our commitment to Chantilly
In Their Words
Chantilly families who trusted us.
Read what Chantilly clients have shared about protecting their children through a divorce.
Questions People Actually Ask
Honest answers, kids at the center.
These are the questions Chantilly parents raise first. If yours is missing, just ask.
Have a question about your children?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Which court hears a Chantilly divorce?
Chantilly is in Fairfax County, so the divorce and property division go to the Fairfax County Circuit Court at 4110 Chain Bridge Road. Custody and support on their own start at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in the same complex.
How does Virginia decide custody?
On the best interests of the child, weighed across ten factors in the statute, from each parent's role to the child's own needs. Virginia favors neither parent by gender, and the door is open to shared or primary custody depending on the facts.
How do we keep the kids out of the middle?
With structure. A detailed parenting plan, neutral handoffs, and clear rules about what is discussed in front of the children all lower the conflict they see. We help you put that structure in writing so it actually holds.
How do I protect a child with special needs?
Carefully, because a direct inheritance can disqualify a child from SSI and Medicaid. A properly written special needs trust holds the money for their benefit without costing them those benefits. A divorce is exactly the moment to get this in place.
How long does it take?
With children, expect a year of living apart before a no fault divorce is final, and longer if custody or money stays contested. We use that year to lock down a parenting plan, so the wait does real work rather than just passing.
Before You Decide
Reading for protective parents.
Plain English guides Chantilly parents reach for most while they protect what matters.
A
Protecting a Child With Special Needs
Why a direct inheritance can cost a child their benefits, and how a special needs trust protects them.
Chantilly GuideBWho Pays the Bills?
How families handle the mortgage and the cards during a separation, before any support order is set.
SeparationCSeparating Under One Roof
How to live separate and apart inside the same home in Virginia, and what makes it count.
Virginia GuideWhen You Are Ready
Take a step toward protecting their future.
Tell us what is going on in your Chantilly case, and we will help you put the children first.