The marriage is ending. You still want to protect the children.

Vienna 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.

Everything turns on the best interests of the child. We design a schedule that protects school days, activities, and steady time with both parents, and then the court reviews and approves the plan. The aim is a calendar your children barely have to think about.

Usually when a child turns 18, or 19 if they are still a full time high school student living at home. It does not simply stop when the oldest ages out if younger children remain, so the order has to be recalculated rather than left to lapse.

Virginia weighs the length of the marriage, each spouse's income, and their needs and ability to pay. A marriage of many years often points toward longer or larger support, though every case rests on its own facts. We work the statutory factors with you so the result is one you understand.

An agreed divorce can be final within a few months once the separation period is satisfied. A contested one usually takes the better part of a year or more, since the court sets the pace of hearings. We keep things moving and tell you what to expect at each step.