Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Springfield, Virginia
Orders pull you one way. Your family pulls the other.
Springfield sits in a corner of Fairfax County full of military and federal families, and a divorce here carries questions a civilian one never does. Deployments, pensions, survivor benefits. We help Springfield families through all of it, with the case filed in Fairfax County. Call when you are ready to talk.
Nothing you tell us leaves the room.
You Are Not Alone
Across Springfield, military and federal families work through this every year. None of them do it alone, and you will not face it by yourself.
6 mo.
of Virginia residency to file, with protections for those stationed away
Va. Code § 20-97
SCRA
federal law can pause a divorce while a parent is on active duty
50 U.S.C. § 3932
10/10
ten years married overlapping ten years of service for direct pension pay
10 U.S.C. § 1408
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law built for Springfield's military and federal families.
When one spouse serves or works for the government, a divorce gains moving parts: pensions, benefits, deployments, clearances. Here is the work we handle.
Searching for a family law attorney near Springfield? NOVA Legal Professionals represents Springfield clients in divorce, custody, child support, spousal support, and the military and federal benefit questions that come with service. Speak with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The issue on your plate.
01
Contested Divorce
When agreement is out of reach, a Fairfax judge decides. We prepare your case fully, account for service obligations, and litigate when that is what protects you.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia divides marital property fairly, not evenly. We work the statutory factors and make sure military and federal assets are valued the right way.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
A federal pension, a Thrift Savings Plan, a home, and savings, we trace and value each marital asset, the pension included, so the division is complete and the benefits survive it.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A clear separation agreement settles support, property, and parenting on your terms. We draft yours to hold up even when orders move you across the country.
First Protection 05Child Support
Base pay, housing and subsistence allowances, and special pays all factor into support. We make sure a Springfield order reflects real service income, not just the base number.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
A deployment cannot cost you your children. We build parenting plans with delegation and use the protections Virginia gives parents who serve.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support turns on income, need, and the length of the marriage. We work through a fair amount and term, with service pay counted correctly.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Pension division, the survivor benefit plan, the ten ten rule, and active duty protections, we handle the parts of a military divorce that civilian cases never touch.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where a Springfield case is heard.
Springfield is part of Fairfax County, so a Springfield case is heard in the county courts in downtown Fairfax. Both share the Fairfax County Courthouse at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, and a deployment 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, including a pension, is divided.
DecidesEquitable distribution, plus support and custody when they are part of the divorce.
WhereDowntown Fairfax at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, near Route 123.
NoteUnder the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, an active duty parent can 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 begin at the Court Services Unit intake before a hearing.
WhereInside the same Fairfax courthouse on Chain Bridge Road.
NoteVenue is the county where you last lived together, which for Springfield couples is Fairfax County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What we tell military families first.
In a military divorce, a pension can be fair on paper and lost in practice if the order is wrong. The wording is the whole game.
- 1
Get the order exactly right
The military pay center reads a pension order word for word and rejects the ones that fall short. We draft it to the standard the pay center requires, not close enough.
- 2
Do not forget the survivor benefit
A pension share can vanish the day the retiree dies if the survivor benefit plan was never elected. There is a deadline, and we make sure it is met.
- 3
Use the protections you earned
A deployment cannot be held against your custody, and active duty can pause a case. We make sure the law works for the parent who serves.
Why Families Trust Us
Counsel that knows the military side.
When service and benefits are part of the divorce, the wrong move costs real money. You want counsel that has handled it before.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of guiding Springfield's military and federal families through divorce.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, including the pension and benefit rules that trip others up.
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 Springfield families and others across Northern Virginia.
Recognition
Recognition earned case after case.
We have stood with Springfield's service members and federal families through divorces that civilian lawyers rarely see, and we made the benefits survive it.
Our commitment to Springfield
In Their Words
Springfield families who trusted us.
Read what Springfield clients have shared about working through a military or federal divorce with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, service included.
These come up most with Springfield's military and federal families. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about your service or benefits?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Which court hears a Springfield divorce?
Springfield 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.
Can a deployment cost me custody?
No. In Virginia, a deployment by itself cannot be used to take away your custody or parenting time. The law lets you delegate your time to a family member and ask for an expedited hearing, so service does not mean losing time with your children.
How is a military pension divided?
The marital share is divisible in Virginia, and how much each spouse receives depends on the marriage and the service. The order has to match what the Defense Finance and Accounting Service requires, word for word, or it gets rejected. We draft it to that standard.
What is the survivor benefit, and why does it matter?
The Survivor Benefit Plan keeps a former spouse's pension share coming if the retiree dies first. It is not automatic, and there is a deadline to elect it. Miss it, and the share can disappear. We make sure it is handled on time.
Do allowances like BAH count as income?
Yes. Virginia counts base pay along with allowances such as housing and subsistence when it sets child or spousal support. We make sure a Springfield support order reflects true service income, not just the base figure.
Before You Decide
Reading worth your time.
Plain English guides Springfield families reach for most when service is part of the picture.
A
The Survivor Benefit You Cannot Miss
How military and federal pensions are divided in a Springfield divorce, and the one election with a deadline.
Springfield GuideBDivorce and Deployment
Why a deployment cannot cost you your children, and the protections Virginia gives parents who serve.
MilitaryCImputed Income and Support
What happens to child support when a parent quits, takes a pay cut, or will not look for work.
Child SupportWhen You Are Ready
Your first call can start it all.
Tell us what is going on in your Springfield case, and we will protect your family and the benefits you earned.