Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Brentsville, Virginia
When a divorce reaches the farm or the family business.
Around Brentsville, a marriage often holds more than a house and a paycheck: a farm, acreage, or a family business that two people built. Dividing one in a divorce is its own challenge, because you are splitting value without breaking up something still running. We help you do it, with the case heard in Prince William County. Reach us when you are ready.
A first call is unrushed, and it costs nothing.
You Are Not Alone
Around Brentsville, plenty of families have had to divide a farm or a business they built together. None of them did it alone, and neither will you.
All of it
a farm or business built during the marriage is marital property
Va. Code § 20-107.3
Valued
a going concern is appraised, not just guessed at
Business and farm valuation
Fairly
Virginia divides the value, it does not force a sale
Equitable distribution
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law help for Brentsville families.
When the marriage holds a farm or a business, the divorce has to divide real value without shutting down something that still has to operate. Here is the work we take on.
Looking for a family law attorney near Brentsville? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Brentsville clients with dividing a family farm or business, asset division, divorce, spousal support, custody, and property division. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter rooted in your land.
01
Contested Divorce
When you cannot agree, a Prince William judge decides. We prepare the case fully, settle where we can, and try the rest in Manassas when it matters.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia divides marital property by fairness, not a flat half. We work the statutory factors so a farm or business is divided the right way.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
The land, the equipment, the business, the accounts, and the retirement, we identify and value every marital asset so nothing is missed.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A clear separation agreement can settle the farm or business along with everything else. We draft yours so the operation and the split are both spelled out.
First Protection 05Child Support
Child support follows the state guideline, built on both incomes. When income runs through a farm or business, we make sure it is counted correctly.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
A parenting plan should fit your family's real week. We shape custody and visitation around school, work, and the rhythm of a family operation.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support turns on income, need, and the length of the marriage. With a business in the picture, we account for what it really earns.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Some Brentsville families include a service member or federal worker. We divide military and federal retirement, survivor benefits included, by their own rules.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where a Brentsville case is heard.
Brentsville is part of Prince William County, and lent its name to the county's old courthouse. Today a Brentsville case is heard in the county courts in Manassas, with the Circuit Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court both at the Judicial Center on Lee Avenue.
Circuit Court
Prince William County Circuit Court
31st Judicial Circuit
HearsThe divorce, and how a farm, a business, and the rest are divided.
DecidesEquitable distribution, including the value of a closely held business.
WhereThe Judicial Center at 9311 Lee Avenue in Manassas, east of Brentsville.
NoteValuing a going concern is where much of the work happens.
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.
WhereIn the same Judicial Center complex on Lee Avenue in Manassas.
NoteYou file where you and your spouse last lived together, which for Brentsville couples is Prince William County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What I tell Brentsville clients about the business.
Dividing a farm is not like splitting a bank account. You are separating two lives without stopping the work that still has to get done.
- 1
The business has to be valued, not guessed
A farm or a closely held business needs a real valuation, the land, the equipment, the inventory, the income. We bring in the right appraisers so the division rests on solid numbers.
- 2
Dividing value does not mean selling
Virginia divides the value of a business; it does not usually force a sale. Often one spouse keeps the operation and buys out the other's share over time. We structure a buyout that the business can actually carry.
- 3
Watch for separate and marital pieces
Land or a business owned before the marriage can be partly separate, but growth and marital effort can make part of it marital. We trace the history so the split is fair and correct.
Why Families Trust Us
Help with the farm and the business.
When the estate holds a working farm or a family business, you want counsel that knows how to value it and divide it without breaking it.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of dividing farms and family businesses for Brentsville clients.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, complex asset division 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 Brentsville families and others across Prince William County.
Recognition
Recognition earned over decades.
We have helped Brentsville families divide a farm or a business fairly, structuring buyouts that kept the operation running while both spouses moved on.
Our commitment to Brentsville
Client Voices
Brentsville families in their own words.
Read what Brentsville clients have shared about dividing a farm or business with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, about the farm.
These are the questions Brentsville clients ask first. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about dividing a business?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Is the family farm marital property?
Usually, at least in part. A farm or business built or grown during the marriage is generally marital property, even if it is in one spouse's name. Land owned before the marriage may be partly separate, but marital effort and growth can make part of it marital.
Do we have to sell the business?
Usually not. Virginia divides the value of a business; it does not normally force a sale. More often, one spouse keeps the operation and buys out the other's share, sometimes over time. We structure a buyout the business can carry.
How is a farm or business valued?
With a real appraisal, not a guess. The land, the equipment, the inventory, and the income all factor in. We bring in qualified appraisers so the division rests on solid numbers rather than a number someone hoped for.
Which court hears a Brentsville divorce?
Brentsville is in Prince William County, so the divorce and property division go to the Prince William County Circuit Court at 9311 Lee Avenue in Manassas. Custody or support on their own start at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in the same complex.
What if the business was here before the marriage?
Then part of it may be separate. Property owned before marrying is generally separate, but increases in value from marital effort or money can become marital. We trace the history so your separate share is protected and the marital share is divided fairly.
Before You Decide
Reading on dividing a business.
Plain English guides Brentsville clients reach for most while they sort out the farm or the business.
A
Family Law in Prince William
The plain English guide to divorce, custody, support, and the Manassas courts.
PW GuideBDivorce in Prince William County
What to expect, step by step, in the local Manassas courts.
Divorce GuideCWho Pays the Bills?
How families handle the mortgage and the cards during a separation, before any order.
SeparationWhen You Are Ready
When you are ready, let's protect what you built.
Tell us about the farm or the business and what you are hoping to keep, and we will help you divide it the right way.