Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Herndon, Virginia
Your biggest asset is not your paycheck. It is everything around it.
In Herndon, the salary is often the smallest part of the picture. Stock grants, a federal pension, a Thrift Savings Plan, these are what a divorce really has to divide. We help Herndon professionals get that right, with the case filed in Fairfax County. Call when you are ready to talk.
Bring your questions; the first call is on us.
You Are Not Alone
Up and down the Herndon tech corridor, professionals are quietly facing this. None of them do it alone, and you will not be on your own either.
6 mo.
of Virginia residency before a case can be filed
Va. Code § 20-97
RSUs
restricted stock can be marital property, depending on vesting
Va. Code § 20-107.3
QDRO
splits a private 401k, but a federal TSP needs its own order
Federal retirement rules
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law for Herndon professionals.
When the real money is in equity and retirement, the division is where a divorce is won or lost. Here is the work we take on.
Looking for a family law attorney near Herndon? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Herndon clients with divorce, custody, support, and dividing equity compensation and retirement the right way. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter on the table.
01
Contested Divorce
When you cannot agree, especially on the money, a Fairfax judge decides. We prepare the financial case in detail, negotiate hard, and litigate when the numbers demand it.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia splits a marital estate fairly, not evenly. We press the statutory factors and make sure equity and retirement are valued, not just guessed at.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
Stock options, restricted stock, and grants can be worth more than a year of pay. We identify what is marital, value it by its vesting, and divide it without leaving money on the table.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
The separation agreement locks in the deal before you file. We draft yours so the equity, the accounts, and the parenting terms are settled and airtight.
First Protection 05Child Support
Bonuses and vested stock count as income in Virginia, not just base salary. We make sure a Herndon support order reflects total compensation, fairly figured.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
Long hours and travel come with the job here. We build a parenting plan that works around real schedules and keeps both parents in the children's lives.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support turns on income, lifestyle, and need. With variable pay in the mix, we work toward an amount and a term that hold up as compensation shifts.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Federal employees and contractors fill Herndon, so the Thrift Savings Plan and federal pensions come up often. We divide each with the specific order it requires, never the wrong one.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where your Herndon case actually goes.
Herndon is part of Fairfax County, so a Herndon case is heard in the county courts in downtown Fairfax. Both share the Fairfax County Courthouse at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, and which one you are in depends on what you are asking the court to decide.
Circuit Court
Fairfax County Circuit Court
19th Judicial Circuit
HearsThe divorce, and how the marital estate, equity and retirement included, is divided.
DecidesEquitable distribution, with support and custody when they are part of the divorce.
WhereDowntown Fairfax at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, a straight shot from Herndon.
NoteComplex compensation can lengthen a case, since accurate valuation takes real work.
J&DR Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Family matters outside a divorce
HearsCustody, parenting time, child support, and protective orders on their own.
StartMost cases open at the Court Services Unit intake before a hearing.
WhereInside the same Fairfax courthouse on Chain Bridge Road.
NoteYou file where you and your spouse last lived together, which for Herndon couples is Fairfax County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What I tell Herndon clients about the money.
In Herndon, the paycheck is the easy part. The grants and the pension are where a divorce is really decided.
- 1
Know what has vested
A stock grant can be part marital and part separate, depending on when it vests. We trace the vesting schedule so you are not handing over shares that were never on the table.
- 2
Use the right retirement order
A QDRO splits a private 401k, but a federal Thrift Savings Plan and a federal pension each need their own order. The wrong document gets rejected and stalls everything.
- 3
Value before you trade
Do not swap the house for the retirement until both are valued properly, tax included. Equal balances are rarely equal value once the real numbers are in.
Why Families Trust Us
Counsel that reads a balance sheet.
When the assets are complex, you want a lawyer comfortable with equity, vesting, and federal retirement, not learning it on your case.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of dividing complex Herndon estates through divorce.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, equity compensation and federal retirement 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 Herndon professionals and others across Northern Virginia.
Recognition
Recognition our Herndon clients can check for themselves.
We have divided some of the most tangled estates in Herndon, the stock, the options, the federal pensions, and we did it without losing the human being in the middle of it.
Our commitment to Herndon
Client Voices
Herndon professionals in their own words.
Read what Herndon clients have shared about dividing complex assets through a divorce.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, numbers included.
These come up most with Herndon professionals. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about your assets?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Which court hears a Herndon divorce?
Herndon is in Fairfax County, so the divorce and property division go to the Fairfax County Circuit Court at 4110 Chain Bridge Road. Custody or support on their own start at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in the same complex.
How are stock options and RSUs divided?
Carefully, because timing is everything. A grant can be part marital and part separate depending on when it vests relative to the marriage and the separation. We trace each grant's vesting so you divide only what is truly marital.
Can a QDRO split my federal retirement?
No, and that trips people up. A QDRO works on a private 401k, but a federal Thrift Savings Plan and a FERS or CSRS pension each need their own kind of court order. Use the wrong one and it gets rejected. We prepare the right order for each account.
Does vested stock count as income for support?
It can. Virginia looks past base salary to bonuses and vested equity when it sets child or spousal support. We make sure a Herndon support order reflects real total compensation, not just the base figure.
How long does it take?
A clean case can finish within months of the separation period. Complex compensation can add time, since valuing equity and retirement properly takes work. We keep it moving and tell you exactly where the time is going.
Before You Decide
Reading before you divide.
Plain English guides Herndon professionals reach for most when the assets are complex.
A
Dividing Stock Compensation
How Virginia treats options, RSUs, and grants in a Herndon divorce, and what stays yours.
Herndon GuideBWhy a QDRO Will Not Touch Your TSP
What actually gets divided, and the right order for a 401k, a TSP, and a federal pension.
RetirementCBlended-Family Estate Planning
How to provide for a current spouse and children from any relationship without leaving anyone out.
Planning AheadWhen You Are Ready
Let's get the numbers right from the start.
Tell us what is going on in your Herndon case, and we will make sure the division is done right.