Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Triangle, Virginia
You want to keep the house. A buyout is usually how.
In Triangle, keeping the family home in a divorce most often means a buyout: you pay your spouse their share of the equity, refinance the mortgage into your name alone, and the house is yours. Simple in outline, but the details decide whether it works. We help you get them right, with the case heard in Prince William County. Reach us when you are ready.
A first call is straightforward, and it is free.
You Are Not Alone
Around Triangle and the Quantico gates, families are working through the same question about the home. None of them do it alone, and neither will you.
6 mo.
of Virginia residency before you can file
Va. Code § 20-97
Buyout
pay the equity share and refinance the loan into your name
Keeping the marital home
Equity
value the home, subtract the mortgage, split the marital share
Va. Code § 20-107.3
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law help for Triangle families.
Keeping the home sounds simple until you reach the refinance and the math. Here is the work we take on to make a buyout actually come together.
Looking for a family law attorney near Triangle? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Triangle clients with divorce, the marital home and buyouts, custody, child support, spousal support, and property division. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter you are facing here.
01
Contested Divorce
When you cannot agree on the home, a Prince William judge decides. We prepare your 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 the home and its equity are divided the right way.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
The house, its equity, the accounts, and the retirement, we identify and value every marital asset so a buyout is built on real numbers.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A clear separation agreement settles the home, the support, and parenting before you file. We draft yours so the buyout terms are spelled out and binding.
First Protection 05Child Support
Child support follows the state guideline, built on both incomes and the custody schedule. We make sure the inputs are right so the number is fair.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
A parenting plan should fit your family's real week. We shape custody and visitation around school, work, and the routine your children rely on.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support turns on income, need, and the length of the marriage, and it can affect whether you qualify to refinance alone. We handle both together.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Near Quantico, many Triangle families include a service member. We divide military retirement, the survivor benefit included, by its own federal rules.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where a Triangle case is heard.
Triangle is part of Prince William County, so a Triangle case is heard in the county courts in Manassas. Both the Circuit Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court sit at the Judicial Center on Lee Avenue.
Circuit Court
Prince William County Circuit Court
31st Judicial Circuit
HearsThe divorce, and how the marital home and the rest of the property are divided.
DecidesEquitable distribution, including the equity in the home.
WhereThe Judicial Center at 9311 Lee Avenue in Manassas, northwest of Triangle.
NoteA buyout is usually settled by agreement, with the decree confirming the terms.
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 Triangle couples is Prince William County.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What I tell Triangle clients about a buyout.
A buyout looks simple on paper. The refinance is where it lives or dies, so we plan that step before you promise it.
- 1
Value the equity before you commit
The buyout number is the home's value minus the mortgage, then the marital share of what is left. We make sure the home is appraised and the equity figured before you agree to a price.
- 2
You have to qualify to refinance alone
A buyout usually means refinancing the mortgage into your name only, which depends on your income and credit. We check that you can actually qualify before the deal is built around it.
- 3
Mind the timing and the support
Spousal or child support can change the income a lender sees, which affects the refinance. We line up the support terms and the buyout so one does not sink the other.
Why Families Trust Us
Help that makes a buyout work.
When keeping the home is the goal, you want counsel who has structured buyouts before and knows where they fall apart.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of structuring home buyouts for Triangle families.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, the marital home and its math 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 Triangle families and others across Prince William County.
Recognition
Recognition you can lean on.
We have helped Triangle families keep the home they wanted through a buyout that actually closed, with the equity and the refinance planned so it held together.
Our commitment to Triangle
Client Voices
Triangle families in their own words.
Read what Triangle clients have shared about keeping the home and finishing a divorce with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, about keeping the home.
These are the questions Triangle clients ask first. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about keeping the house?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Which court hears a Triangle divorce?
Triangle 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 District Court in the same complex.
How does a home buyout work?
You pay your spouse their share of the equity and refinance the mortgage into your name alone, and the house becomes yours. The buyout number is the home's value minus the mortgage, then the marital share of that equity. The refinance is the step that makes it final.
Do I have to refinance to keep the house?
Usually, yes. A divorce decree does not remove your spouse from the mortgage; only a refinance or sale does. To keep the home and take your spouse off the loan, you generally have to refinance into your own name.
What if I cannot qualify to refinance alone?
Then a straight buyout may not work, and we look at alternatives: a longer timeline, offsetting other assets, a co-signer, or selling and splitting the proceeds. We check this early so the plan is realistic.
How is the equity figured?
Start with a current appraisal, subtract what is owed on the mortgage, and that is the equity. The marital share of that equity is divided fairly under Virginia's equitable distribution factors, which is the amount a buyout has to cover.
Before You Decide
Reading before a buyout.
Plain English guides Triangle clients reach for most while they weigh keeping the home.
A
How a Buyout Works
Paying the equity share, refinancing alone, and the details that decide whether it works.
Triangle GuideBMilitary Divorce Near Quantico
The federal rules that shape timing, the pension, and where you can file.
MilitaryCFamily Law in Prince William
The plain English guide to divorce, custody, support, and the Manassas courts.
PW GuideWhen You Are Ready
When you are ready, let's keep your home.
Tell us what is going on in your Triangle case, and we will help you build a buyout that actually closes.