Practical advice. Patient counsel. The lawyer who stays until it is done.
First call is a conversation, not a commitment.
Since the start of her career, Kate Van Hooser has made a name for herself as a zealous advocate for her clients, whether they are in the middle of a highly contested divorce or a child who is the subject of a removal action by the Department of Social Services. She concentrates her practice on family and divorce law, including all aspects of child custody, visitation, support, and property distribution.
Kate routinely appears before the courts in Prince William, Fairfax, Alexandria, Stafford, and Fredericksburg. She has successfully represented clients with multi-million dollar business and property interests, as well as those navigating international custody and visitation issues. As a former certified Guardian Ad Litem for both children and incompetent adults, Kate brings the perspective of someone who has worked from inside the system as well as outside it.
Though a self-described "military brat," Kate has called Northern Virginia home since the early 1990s. She graduated from Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School and the University of Virginia, then earned her Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Health Law from Saint Louis University School of Law. She lives in Fairfax County with her husband and two children. When she is not working, she can be found coaching her children's sports teams, traveling, or baking.
"A skilled negotiator and an experienced litigator in the courtroom, who handles each family law case with compassion and dedication."
Kate has worked from inside it. As a former certified Guardian Ad Litem for both children and incompetent adults, she has carried the court's own appointment to investigate, interview, and recommend. That experience shapes how she advocates today.
A Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) is an attorney appointed by a Virginia court to represent the best interests of a child or incompetent adult in a legal matter. Unlike a lawyer hired by a parent, the GAL serves the court directly. They investigate the situation, interview the people involved, and make an independent recommendation to the judge. Few family law attorneys have served in this role.
Court-appointed work representing children and incompetent adults in Virginia family courts.
The same vantage point now applied to her clients' cases, instead of the court's.
Few family law attorneys have worked from inside the court-appointed role. Kate has.
Each principle below comes from a specific part of Kate's background, from her years as a Guardian Ad Litem to her work on long custody cases. Together they describe how she runs a file.
Clients describe Kate's advice as "real life," meaning practical, grounded, and useful for the decisions actually in front of them. She does not offer abstract legal lectures. She helps clients see what the case looks like from the judge's bench and what choices follow from that.
Family law cases are emotionally heavy by nature, and the small fights inside them can swallow a case whole. Kate is known for pulling clients back to the bigger picture: what matters in three years, what matters for the kids, what is actually worth the time and money to fight about.
Reviews consistently mention Kate's availability and patience. She makes herself reachable during what may be the hardest period of a client's life, and she takes the time to walk clients through every detail until they are comfortable moving forward.
Kate is a skilled negotiator who has resolved many cases short of trial. She is also an experienced litigator who has represented clients with multi-million dollar business and property interests, and in international custody and visitation matters. The case decides which role is needed.
Kate works across the full range of Virginia family and divorce law. The areas below are the ones she handles most often. Each links to a fuller explanation of how the firm approaches the work.
Contested and uncontested divorce, including high-asset and complex property division cases.
Legal and physical custody, contested custody cases, and the long-term parenting plans that follow.
Visitation schedules, supervised visitation, and modifications when the schedule no longer fits.
Virginia's guideline calculations, deviations, and the high-income cases that go beyond the guidelines.
Pendente lite and final spousal support under Virginia's thirteen-factor analysis.
Cross-border custody and visitation matters, including the procedural and treaty issues those cases involve.
A short list of the credentials and case experience that shape Kate's practice today.
Kate routinely appears before the family law and juvenile courts of five Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Her familiarity with the local judges, clerks, and procedures across these courts is a quiet but real advantage for clients.
Court-appointed representation of children in Virginia family and juvenile court matters.
Court-appointed representation of adults found legally incapacitated.
Saint Louis University School of Law, Missouri.
University of Virginia.
Representation of clients in divorce cases involving substantial business and property interests.
Cross-border custody matters, including the additional procedural and treaty issues involved.
Representation in matters involving DSS removal of children, both for parents and as a court-appointed advocate.
Verified reviews from families Kate has stood beside, drawn from her client testimonials.
"Kate Van Hooser and her team were excellent. Kate helped my family with a long custody case and we could not have gone through it without her patience and professionalism. She was always comforting and made what could have been a stressful situation, less stressful. With that we won and now our family is whole again."
"Attorney Kate Van Hooser is incredibly knowledgeable in many aspects of family law. Her real-life approach assisted me in making the right decision for myself moving forward with my case. She made herself available anytime I needed to speak with her. She was great at keeping me in line during one of the worst times of my life. Kate always helped me look at the bigger picture."
"Kate and her entire team were professional, excellent and timely communicators, and knowledgeable about my legal issues. Kate handled my relocation case with great ethics and professionalism no matter how many curve balls were thrown at us. They made a truly difficult time much easier for me and my family."
"I have been working with Mrs. Van Hooser for about a year now and she has done nothing but wonderful work. She has stayed consistent, on top of her game, and very knowledgeable about legal matters. Her positive attitude and love for her work has consistently made me feel confident during stressful times."
Kate meets clients across NOVA Legal Professionals' three Northern Virginia offices: Fairfax, Manassas, and Fredericksburg. The first call is a conversation, not a commitment.
