Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas | Fredericksburg
Family Law Attorneys · Mount Vernon, Virginia
Serving your country should not mean losing your divorce by default.
If you are deployed or on active duty, the fear is real: that a divorce moves forward while you are away and unable to take part. Federal law protects you, and we make sure it works the way it should. We help Mount Vernon families through it, with the case filed in Fairfax County. Reach us when you are ready.
We will walk you through it calmly, with no obligation.
You Are Not Alone
Around Mount Vernon, service members and their families face this more than most places. None of them face it alone, and you will not be left behind.
6 mo.
of Virginia residency before a case can be filed
Va. Code § 20-97
90+
days a court case can be paused while you are on active duty
SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3932
No default
you cannot lose a divorce simply because service kept you away
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law built for Mount Vernon's military families.
When one spouse serves, a divorce carries protections and rules a civilian case never sees. Here is the work we take on, with your service kept in mind.
Looking for a family law attorney near Mount Vernon? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Mount Vernon clients with military divorce, SCRA protections, custody, child support, and property division. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter you are facing today.
01
Contested Divorce
When agreement is out of reach, a Fairfax judge decides. We prepare the case fully, account for active duty and deployment, and litigate when that protects you.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia divides marital property by fairness, not evenly. We work the statutory factors and make sure military retirement and benefits are valued correctly.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
A home, savings, a vehicle, and a military pension, we identify and value every marital asset so the division is complete and the benefits are not lost.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A clear separation agreement settles support, property, and parenting before you file. We draft yours so it holds even when orders send you elsewhere.
First Protection 05Child Support
Base pay and allowances both count toward support in Virginia. We make sure a Mount Vernon support order reflects true service income, fairly figured.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
A deployment cannot cost you your children. We build parenting plans that use delegation and the protections Virginia gives the parent who serves.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support turns on income, need, and the length of the marriage. We work toward a fair amount and term, with service pay counted correctly.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Military retirement, the survivor benefit plan, and the SCRA, we handle the parts of a service member's divorce that ordinary cases never touch.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where a Mount Vernon case is heard.
Mount Vernon is part of Fairfax County, so a Mount Vernon case is heard in the county courts in downtown Fairfax. Both share the Fairfax County Courthouse at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, and active duty can change the timing in ways we plan for.
Circuit Court
Fairfax County Circuit Court
19th Judicial Circuit
HearsThe divorce itself, and how marital property, a pension included, is divided.
DecidesEquitable distribution, plus support and custody when they are part of the divorce.
WhereDowntown Fairfax at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, north of Mount Vernon.
NoteThe SCRA lets an active duty servicemember ask the court to pause a case during duty.
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 Mount Vernon couples is Fairfax County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What we tell those in uniform first.
No one should lose a divorce by default for answering the call of duty. The law protects you, if someone makes it work.
- 1
Ask for the pause if you need it
The SCRA can stop a case for at least 90 days when service makes it impossible to take part. We file the request properly so a divorce never proceeds without you.
- 2
Protect the retirement and the survivor benefit
Military retired pay is divisible, but a share can be lost if the order is wrong or the survivor benefit is never elected. We get both right, on time.
- 3
Use your deployment protections
Delegating parenting time and asking for an expedited hearing are rights, not favors. We make sure the court honors them.
Why Families Trust Us
Counsel that understands service.
When the uniform is part of the story, you want counsel that knows the protections and the pension rules cold.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of guiding Mount Vernon's service members and families through divorce.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, the SCRA and military 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 military families and others across Northern Virginia.
Recognition
Recognition earned serving those who serve.
We have stood with Mount Vernon's service members through divorces fought across deployments and time zones, and we made sure none of them lost by default.
Our commitment to Mount Vernon
In Their Words
Mount Vernon families who trusted us.
Read what Mount Vernon clients have shared about working through a military divorce with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, for those who serve.
These come up most with Mount Vernon's military families. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about your service?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Which court hears a Mount Vernon divorce?
Mount Vernon 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 building.
Can a divorce proceed while I am deployed?
Not without protections. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lets an active duty member pause a case for at least 90 days when service makes it impossible to take part, so you do not lose a divorce by default while answering the call of duty.
How is military retirement divided?
Virginia treats military retired pay as marital property that can be divided, but federal law sets the rules. The order must say exactly what the pay center requires, and the survivor benefit has to be elected on time, or a share can be quietly lost. We handle both.
Can deployment cost me custody?
No. A deployment by itself cannot be used against your custody or parenting time. You can delegate your time to a family member and request an expedited hearing, and we make sure the court honors those rights.
Do allowances count as income for support?
Yes. Virginia counts base pay along with allowances like housing and subsistence when it sets child or spousal support. We make sure the order reflects true service income.
Before You Decide
Reading for military families.
Plain English guides Mount Vernon families reach for most when service is part of the picture.
A
Deployment and the SCRA
How the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can pause a case so you never lose a divorce by default.
Mount Vernon GuideBMilitary Divorce in Fairfax County
The extra rules a service member's divorce carries, from the pension to residency.
MilitaryCWho Pays the Bills?
How families handle the mortgage and the cards during a separation, before any support order.
SeparationWhen You Are Ready
When you are ready, we will protect your rights.
Tell us what is going on in your Mount Vernon case, and we will make sure your service works for you, not against you.