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PRACTICE AREAS
DIVORCE
PFLG knows that divorce is one of the most traumatic and life-altering experiences that a person can live through. Every client is unique, with different desires, goals and needs. PFLG has represented thousands of clients from stay-at-home parents to high net worth business owners, and everyone in between. PFLG aggressively litigates to secure the best and most cost-effective outcome for our clients, resulting in settling the overwhelming majority of our cases on terms that the client is happy with. For those cases that cannot be settled, PFLG zealously advocates for our clients in all of the Courts in Northern Virginia.
CHILD CUSTODY & VISITATION
Children are usually the most important part of any case. Whether representing parents who were never married in the juvenile court, or representing parents going through a divorce in circuit court, PFLG has years of experience settling and litigating custody and visitation cases in Northern Virginia. Every parent and every child is different, and what works for one family does not work for another family. PFLG strives to obtain the custody and visitation schedule desired by the client, whether through settlement, mediation or litigation. PFLG regularly works with guardians ad litem and child therapists, and interviews children and prepares them to testify when necessary, to secure the best outcome. PFLG will explain to you the likely outcome in trial, and provide you with a gameplan to put you in the best position for success in court.
PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS
PFLG has drafted hundreds of Prenuptial Agreements for clients who want to establish the rules to govern an eventual divorce, thus saving thousands of dollars in legal fees upon divorce. PFLG has drafted Prenuptial Agreements for young couples whose family want to protect family assets, for older couples who have been divorced previously and have children from prior relationships, and everyone in between. Whether you want to address premarital assets, governing your financial lives after marriage, spousal support, or division of the marital home, PFLG can draft a Prenuptial Agreement that meets your specific needs.
BUSINESS VALUATIONS
A business owned by one of the spouses is often the most valuable asset in divorce. PFLG has handled countless cases involving business valuations, and is well-versed in analyzing business records and retaining and assisting business valuators (expert witnesses). Whether you are the business owner or the spouse of the business owner, or whether the business is jointly owned, PFLG has vast experience in navigating the complexities involved, including the “battle of the experts” where the business owner’s expert has a low valuation and the other spouse’s expert has a high valuation. PFLG also utilizes experts to determine the business owner’s income if spousal support or child support is at issue in the case.
MEDIATION
Mediation is an informal, non-binding process wherein the parties pay a neutral third-party (the mediator) to assist them in settling their case. Some clients elect the route of mediation wherein lawyers are not involved, and in those cases PFLG guides the client in preparing and strategizing for the various mediation sessions that occur over weeks or months. In other cases, clients elect mediation wherein lawyers are involved, and those mediations (using a retired judge as the mediator) occur in one day, often lasting 10+ hours. While more amicable, mediation can be expensive, so PFLG only mediates those cases that we believe will actually settle. PFLG has a very high settlement rate in cases that attempt mediation.
SPOUSAL SUPPORT
Spousal Support (also known as alimony) is a major issue in divorce, as it significantly affects each spouse’s standard of living after the divorce, and potentially for many years. Spousal Support is one of the most difficult issues to resolve in divorce, as the courts have significant discretion. The range of potential outcomes is often vast. PFLG knows that properly preparing your spousal support case is crucial to a successful outcome. PFLG has years of experience negotiating favorable spousal support settlements and successfully litigating hotly contested spousal support actions. PFLG also files and litigates countless motions to modify a prior spousal support amount upon a change of circumstances, such as the loss of the payor’s job.
CHILD SUPPORT
Child support may seem like an easy issue to settle, since Virginia uses a formula commonly referred to as the “Guidelines.” However, there can be heated disagreements over the various inputs that go into the Guidelines, including each party’s gross income (especially when a party is self-employed or owns a business), which parent maintains the children’s health/dental/vision insurance, the cost of daycare and whether the cost is reasonable, arrearages, etc. PFLG is well versed in litigating all aspects of child support in Northern Virginia courts, including motions to modify child support based upon a change of circumstances, such as the loss of the payor’s job or a change in the cost of daycare.