Serving Virginia Since 1997
Divorce changes where you live, how you parent, and what you own. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. has represented clients in family law matters since 1997 — handling divorce, custody, support, and property division across Virginia, including Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, and the wider Northern Virginia region. When people search for a divorce lawyer near them, what they usually want is a clear reading of their situation and a plan they can act on. That is where we start.
Why Clients Choose Us
Choosing counsel is a practical decision. Here is what the firm brings to a Virginia divorce or family law matter.
The firm was founded in 1997 and has handled family law matters in Virginia courts since then. Experience with local circuit court and juvenile and domestic relations district court practice matters, because procedure and expectations vary from courthouse to courthouse.
Mr. Sris, Owner and Founder, is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. Northern Virginia families frequently have cross-border issues — a spouse who works in D.C., property in Maryland, a relocation — that can be discussed rather than deferred.
Mr. Sris is a former prosecutor. That background informs how the firm evaluates evidence, prepares witnesses, and assesses what a contested hearing will actually look like.
The firm’s Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. and bring experience in family law matters to the work they take on. A matter is staffed to the issues it presents.
We explain the Virginia process in plain language, tell you what the realistic range of outcomes looks like, and update you as the matter moves. Phone intake is available around the clock; an attorney will follow up during business hours.
When people search for a divorce lawyer near them, what they usually want is a clear reading of their situation and a plan they can act on. That is where we start — with the issues identified and the options laid out.
An Overview
In Virginia, divorce is filed in the circuit court of the county or city where the parties last cohabited or where the defendant resides. A no-fault divorce requires that spouses live separate and apart without cohabitation and without interruption — for one year, or for six months if the parties have no minor children and have signed a written separation agreement (Va. Code § 20-91). Virginia also recognizes fault grounds, including adultery, cruelty, desertion, and felony conviction, each with its own proof requirements. Filing begins with a Complaint and proceeds through service, responsive pleadings, discovery, temporary (pendente lite) relief where needed, negotiation or mediation, and — if the parties cannot agree — trial before a judge. Virginia has no jury trial in divorce.
Several things are decided, in practice, before anyone sees a judge: who stays in the marital residence, how bills get paid, what the parenting schedule looks like day to day, and what financial records still exist. Those early facts tend to become the baseline a court works from. Getting advice early does not make a case adversarial — it usually makes it shorter, because the issues get framed correctly the first time.
Virginia courts decide custody and visitation using the best-interests-of-the-child factors in Va. Code § 20-124.3. Child support is calculated under the statutory guidelines in Va. Code § 20-108.2. Marital property is divided under the equitable distribution statute, Va. Code § 20-107.3 — equitable meaning fair in the court’s judgment, not automatically equal. Spousal support is governed by Va. Code § 20-107.1. Understanding which of these applies to you, and what evidence each one requires, is the first useful step.
How We Help
An uncontested divorce is one where the parties agree on every issue. A contested divorce means one or more issues remain in dispute and require court involvement. Many cases start contested and settle. We prepare either way.
Virginia distinguishes legal custody (decision-making) from physical custody (where the child lives), and either can be sole or joint. Courts apply the best-interests factors and expect a workable, specific parenting plan. We help build one, and litigate when needed.
Support is presumptively set by the Virginia guidelines, which run on each parent’s gross income, the custody arrangement, health insurance costs, and work-related childcare. Deviations are possible but must be justified on the record.
Courts consider the duration of the marriage, the standard of living established during it, each spouse’s earning capacity, contributions to the family, and more. Support may be periodic, lump sum, or a combination, and it can be time-limited.
The court classifies property as marital, separate, or hybrid; values it; and divides the marital share. Retirement accounts, business interests, stock compensation, and the marital residence each raise their own valuation questions.
A well-drafted property settlement or separation agreement can resolve custody, support, and property in one document and shorten the divorce considerably. It is a contract courts will generally enforce as written — which is why the drafting matters.
Servicemember families face the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, residency and jurisdiction questions, and division of military retired pay under the USFSPA. With multiple installations around Northern Virginia, these issues come up regularly.
When the marital estate includes closely held business interests, executive compensation, deferred equity, real estate, or complex retirement assets, the case turns on valuation and tracing — often requiring financial professionals alongside counsel.
Custody, visitation, and support orders can be modified when there is a material change in circumstances. Property division, once final, generally cannot. We evaluate whether a change qualifies before you file.
When an order is ignored — support unpaid, a parenting schedule disregarded, property not transferred — enforcement includes show cause and contempt proceedings, wage withholding, and judgment collection.
Family abuse protective orders are handled in the juvenile and domestic relations district court and frequently intersect with an ongoing custody or divorce case. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 first.
Every matter begins with a clear reading of your situation, the applicable Virginia statutes, and the realistic paths available — so you leave with the issues identified and the options laid out.
Our Process
You describe the situation. We identify the legal issues, the applicable Virginia statutes, and the realistic paths available. You leave with the issues identified and the options laid out.
We gather the documents that matter — financials, communications, prior orders, agreements — and assess strengths, weaknesses, and exposure.
We set objectives with you and choose the approach: negotiated settlement, mediation, collaborative resolution, or litigation. Objectives get ranked, because most cases involve trade-offs.
Most Virginia family law matters resolve by agreement. We negotiate from a prepared position, not a hopeful one.
When agreement is not reachable, we prepare the case for hearing: pleadings, discovery, expert work where warranted, and trial presentation.
Final decree, order implementation, QDRO or transfer documents, and a clear explanation of what your obligations are going forward.
Timing Matters
Deadlines and jurisdictional requirements are real. The separation period runs from a specific date, and how you conduct yourself during it can affect grounds, support, and custody. Early advice keeps options open.
Marital assets are classified and valued as of dates the court fixes. Documents disappear; accounts get moved; joint debt keeps accruing in your name. The earlier the financial picture is preserved, the more accurate the eventual division.
The schedule you actually follow in the months after separation tends to become the reference point a court looks at. Establishing a workable arrangement early — in writing where possible — reduces conflict later and gives children a routine to rely on.
None of this is a reason to panic. It is a reason to get advice before decisions get made by default.
VA · MD · DC · NJ · NY
Owner and Founder · Former Prosecutor
In practice since 1997. A former prosecutor, admitted in five jurisdictions.
VA
Of Counsel
Family law, complex property division, and matters involving business interests. Practicing since 2005.
Common Questions
It depends on the grounds and the level of disagreement. A no-fault divorce requires a one-year separation, or six months if you have no minor children and a signed separation agreement. Once the separation period is satisfied and the parties agree on all terms, an uncontested divorce can often be finalized in a matter of weeks. A contested case involving custody, support, and property can take considerably longer.
Virginia allows both no-fault and fault-based divorce. No-fault requires the statutory separation period. Fault grounds — adultery, cruelty, desertion, and felony conviction — have separate proof requirements and can affect spousal support and, in some cases, the property division.
Legal custody is the authority to make major decisions about the child — education, healthcare, religion. Physical custody is where the child lives and the day-to-day schedule. Either can be joint or sole, and courts often award joint legal custody with a primary physical arrangement.
Through statutory guidelines that use both parents’ gross incomes, the number of days the child spends with each parent, health insurance premiums for the child, and work-related childcare costs. The guideline figure is presumptively correct, though a court can deviate with written findings.
No. Virginia is an equitable distribution state, not a community property state. The court divides marital property in the proportion it finds fair after weighing the statutory factors, which may or may not be an even split. Separate property — generally, what you brought into the marriage or received by gift or inheritance — is not divided, provided it can be traced.
Possibly. There is no automatic entitlement. A court weighs the statutory factors, including the duration of the marriage, each spouse’s income and earning capacity, the standard of living during the marriage, and the circumstances that contributed to the end of the marriage. Adultery can bar support in some circumstances.
Military divorce adds federal considerations: the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act may affect timing, residency rules affect where you can file, and division of military retired pay is governed by federal law. It is a family law case with an extra layer, not a different kind of case.
Yes, on a showing of a material change in circumstances since the last order, and a demonstration that the change serves the child’s best interests. Property division in a final decree, by contrast, is generally not modifiable.
Not necessarily. Many Virginia family law matters resolve through negotiation, mediation, or a signed separation agreement, with a brief uncontested hearing or an affidavit-based process at the end. Court becomes necessary when the parties cannot reach agreement.
Anything you already have: recent tax returns, pay stubs, account statements, any existing orders or agreements, a rough list of assets and debts, and a short timeline of events. If you do not have documents yet, come anyway — we will tell you what to gather.
Get in Touch
If you are considering divorce, responding to a filing, or dealing with a custody or support issue in Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, or elsewhere in Virginia, we are available to review your situation and explain your options. Phone intake is available around the clock; an attorney will follow up during business hours.
Serving clients in Virginia — Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, and Northern Virginia. Practicing since 1997.
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Attorney responsible for this advertising: Mr. Sris. Content reviewed by Mr. Sris, Owner and Founder (admitted in Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York).
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