Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Hartwood, Virginia
The best time to protect what you own is before there is a fight.
Around Hartwood, families often have land, a farm, a business, or an inheritance worth protecting. A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement lets you decide in advance what stays separate and how things would be handled, calmly, before any conflict. We draft and review them, and we handle the divorce if one ever comes, with any case heard in Stafford County. Reach us when you are ready.
A first call is relaxed, and it costs nothing.
A Smart Step
Around Hartwood, more couples than you would think put a clear agreement in place before or during marriage. It is not a sign of doubt, it is a sign of planning.
In writing
a premarital agreement must be written and signed
Va. Code § 20-149
Both
premarital and marital (postnuptial) agreements are allowed
Va. Code § 20-155
Fair
full financial disclosure protects enforceability
Va. Code § 20-151
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law help for Hartwood families.
A clear agreement, signed before or during marriage, can spare a family years of conflict later. Here is the work we take on, from the agreement itself to a divorce if one ever comes.
Looking for a family law attorney near Hartwood? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Hartwood clients with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, divorce, property division, spousal support, and custody. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter you can plan for.
01
Contested Divorce
If a divorce comes despite an agreement, a Stafford judge decides any open issues. We prepare the case and enforce or challenge the agreement as the facts require.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia divides marital property by fairness, not a flat half. A sound agreement can set those terms in advance, and we draft it to hold up.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
The land, a business, the accounts, and the retirement, we identify what is separate and what is marital so an agreement protects the right things.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A separation agreement settles a divorce; a prenuptial or postnuptial one settles things in advance. We draft both so your intentions are clear and binding.
First Protection 05Child Support
Child support follows the state guideline and cannot be bargained away in advance. We explain what an agreement can and cannot decide about the children.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
Custody and parenting cannot be locked in before a split, but everything financial can. We focus an agreement where the law lets it do real work.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support can be set, limited, or waived in a valid agreement. We draft those terms carefully so they are fair and enforceable.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Some Hartwood families include a service member or federal worker. We address military and federal retirement in an agreement and, if needed, in a divorce.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where a Hartwood case is heard.
Hartwood is part of Stafford County, so if a divorce ever follows, it is heard at the county courthouse. A divorce is filed in the Stafford Circuit Court, where an agreement is enforced or reviewed; custody and support on their own go to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, both at the Judicial Center on Courthouse Road.
Circuit Court
Stafford Circuit Court
15th Judicial Circuit
HearsA divorce, and any dispute over a premarital or marital agreement.
DecidesWhether an agreement controls, and equitable distribution if it does not.
WhereThe Judicial Center at 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, in the 15th Judicial Circuit.
NoteA well-drafted agreement can keep most issues out of court entirely.
J&DR Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Family matters outside a divorce
HearsCustody, visitation, and child support brought on their own.
StartMost cases open at the Court Services Unit intake before a hearing.
WhereAt the Stafford Judicial Center on Courthouse Road, near the Circuit Court.
NoteChild support and custody cannot be fixed by a premarital agreement.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What I tell Hartwood clients about agreements.
A good agreement is not planning to fail. It is deciding the hard things while everyone is calm, instead of leaving them to a courtroom.
- 1
Get it in writing, with disclosure
A premarital agreement has to be in writing and signed, and it holds up best when both people exchange honest financial disclosures. Hidden assets or pressure are exactly what gets an agreement thrown out.
- 2
You can also sign after the wedding
Virginia allows postnuptial, or marital, agreements too. Couples who did not sign a prenuptial agreement, or whose circumstances changed, can still set clear terms while married.
- 3
Some things cannot be decided in advance
An agreement can settle property and spousal support, but it cannot bind a court on child custody or set child support below the guideline. We focus it where the law gives it force.
Why Families Trust Us
Help before and after the fight.
Whether you are planning ahead or facing a dispute over an agreement, you want counsel who knows what makes one hold up.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of drafting and reviewing marital agreements for Hartwood families.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, agreements and divorce 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 Hartwood families and others across Stafford County.
Recognition
Recognition worth planning around.
We have helped Hartwood families protect a farm, a business, and an inheritance with clear agreements, and stood by them when one was later put to the test.
Our commitment to Hartwood
In Their Words
Hartwood families who trusted us.
Read what Hartwood clients have shared about an agreement or a divorce with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, about agreements.
These are the questions Hartwood clients ask first. If yours is not here, just ask.
Thinking about an agreement?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Are prenuptial agreements enforceable in Virginia?
Yes, when done right. The agreement must be in writing and signed, and it holds up best when both people made full, honest financial disclosures. A court can set one aside if it was signed involuntarily or is unconscionable with inadequate disclosure.
Can we sign one after we are married?
Yes. Virginia allows postnuptial, or marital, agreements as well as premarital ones. Couples who skipped a prenuptial agreement, or whose finances changed, can still set clear, binding terms while married.
What can an agreement decide?
Property and debt, what stays separate, how things divide, and spousal support, including limiting or waiving it. It cannot bind a court on child custody, and it cannot set child support below the state guideline.
Will it protect my farm or business?
That is often the point. A well-drafted agreement can keep a farm, a business, or an inheritance separate, so it is not divided if the marriage ends. We trace what is yours and write the terms to protect it.
What if my spouse challenges it?
Then the Stafford Circuit Court decides whether it stands. Agreements are usually upheld when they were entered voluntarily, with disclosure, and are not grossly unfair. We defend a sound agreement or challenge a flawed one.
Before You Decide
Reading before you sign.
Plain English guides Hartwood clients reach for most while weighing an agreement.
A
How Do I Get a Divorce in Virginia?
The plain English overview of grounds, timelines, and the steps to a final decree.
Virginia GuideBNo-Fault Divorce in Stafford
The two timelines, the rules that go with them, and where to file locally.
Stafford GuideCWhat to Expect in an Uncontested Divorce
The requirements, the timeline, and what makes a Virginia divorce uncontested.
Virginia GuideWhen You Are Ready
When you are ready, let's put it in writing.
Tell us what you want to protect, and we will help you put a clear, enforceable agreement in place for your Hartwood family.