Manassas, Virginia · Contested Divorce
A contested divorce can take many months, and life does not pause while it runs. Who pays the mortgage? Where do the kids live? How do the bills get covered? Virginia answers those questions early with temporary orders. Let me explain how they work and how they keep your Manassas case from falling apart before it is finished.
By Corrie Sirkin, Esq. · Founding Partner, NOVA Legal Professionals
This article is one part of our larger divorce guide. For the full picture, start with our cornerstone, Divorce in Virginia. Here, I will focus on temporary orders in a contested case.
The problem with the waiting
A contested divorce is one where you and your spouse cannot agree on something important, custody, support, or how to divide what you own, so the court has to decide. That takes time, often the better part of a year. The trouble is that rent, childcare, and household bills do not wait for a trial date. Without some structure, the months in between can do real damage.
What temporary orders do
Early in a contested case, the court can enter temporary orders, called pendente lite relief, under Va. Code § 20-103. These hold things steady while the case is pending. A pendente lite order can set temporary spousal and child support, decide who lives in the marital home for now, establish a temporary custody and parenting schedule, and address related needs. It is not the final word, it is the rulebook for the in-between.
A Word About “Temporary”
Do not let the word fool you. A temporary order shapes daily life for months and can influence the final result, because a schedule that works tends to become the one the court keeps. Treat the pendente lite hearing as seriously as the trial, not as a warm-up. What gets set early often sets the tone for everything that follows.
Need stability while your case proceeds?
A short conversation can show you what temporary orders could put in place for your family. No pressure, no commitment.
How the rest of the case unfolds
With temporary orders in place, the case moves through discovery, the formal exchange of financial and other information, and then toward settlement talks or, if needed, trial before a judge. Custody decisions follow the best interests of the child under Va. Code § 20-124.3, and child support follows the statewide guideline under Va. Code § 20-108.2. Most contested cases still settle before trial. For the wider view, see our contested divorce page.
Where a Manassas case is heard
A contested Manassas divorce is heard in the Prince William County Circuit Court, the 31st Judicial Circuit, at the Prince William Judicial Center, 9311 Lee Avenue in Manassas, which serves Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William County. Our Manassas office is on Center Street, a short walk away, so it is the courthouse we appear in most weeks.
“The temporary order is where a contested case is quietly won or lost. Get the early structure right, and the months that follow are far less painful.”
Corrie Sirkin, Esq. · Founding Partner
Corrie’s Practical Advice
Three habits help in a contested Manassas case. First, ask for temporary orders early, because waiting months for support or a schedule is how families get hurt mid-case. Second, prepare for the pendente lite hearing like it matters, with a clear budget and a sensible parenting proposal, since what gets set tends to stick. Third, keep settlement on the table throughout, because most contested cases resolve before trial, and an early, fair structure makes that resolution easier to reach.
Stabilize the present first. A steady in-between makes the final outcome easier to reach.
Authoritative References
Sources
- Code of Virginia, § 20-103. Pendente lite relief: temporary support, custody, use of the marital home, and related orders while a divorce is pending. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title20
- Code of Virginia, § 20-124.3. Best interests of the child factors for custody and visitation. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title20
- Code of Virginia, § 20-108.2. Statewide guideline for the determination of child support. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title20
- Prince William County Circuit Court (31st Judicial Circuit). Divorce filing at the Prince William Judicial Center, serving Manassas. pwcva.gov/department/circuit-court
Statutory rules verified against the current Code of Virginia as of June 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pendente lite order?
Pendente lite means “while the case is pending.” Under Va. Code § 20-103, it is a temporary order a court enters early in a contested divorce to keep things stable, setting temporary support, a custody and parenting schedule, and who uses the marital home while the case proceeds. It is not the final ruling, but it governs daily life until the divorce is resolved.
How long does a contested divorce take in Manassas?
It varies, but a contested case often runs the better part of a year, sometimes longer, depending on the issues and the court’s schedule. That is exactly why temporary orders matter, they hold support, custody, and the home steady during the months between filing and resolution. Many cases settle before reaching a final trial.
Who pays the bills while a divorce is pending?
A pendente lite order can set temporary spousal and child support and decide who remains in the marital home, which together determine how household costs are covered during the case. Rather than leaving it to chance or conflict, the court puts a temporary financial structure in place so both households can function until the final decree.
Does a temporary custody order affect the final one?
It can. A temporary schedule is not binding on the final decision, which is made on the best interests of the child under Va. Code § 20-124.3. But a temporary arrangement that works well often becomes the template the court keeps, because stability favors the children. That is why the temporary hearing deserves careful preparation.
Does a contested divorce always go to trial?
No. Most contested divorces settle before trial, often once temporary orders are in place and discovery has shown both sides the facts. A trial before a judge is the path when the couple genuinely cannot agree, but it is the exception rather than the rule. A fair early structure tends to make settlement easier to reach.
When You Are Ready
Let’s get stability in place for your Manassas case.
Tell me what your family needs to stay steady, and I will help you seek temporary orders that hold while the case runs. The first call is a conversation, not a commitment.