Virginia Divorce and Family Lawyer
Family law is one of the most complex and volatile areas of legal practice. Emotions run high, and tempers can flare when clients are dealing with the people and possessions about which they care most. If you are facing a family crisis, contact Christian Curtis, LLC, in Alexandria, Virginia, to find the help you need.
Areas of Family Law
I am attorney Christian Curtis . I have successfully worked with thousands of individuals and families facing family issues, such as:
- Divorce : I help clients resolve the legal and emotional issues that stem from divorce matters.
- Annulments : I help clients understand the conditions that must be met to successfully obtain an annulment in Virginia. Once complete, an annulment establishes that the marriage is not valid.
- Property division : I work with clients to help ensure they receive an equitable share of the marital property.
- Equitable distribution of assets : Virginia is an “equitable distribution” state, as opposed to a “community property” state, which means each asset is examined to determine if it is marital, part-marital, or separate. This process takes patience and diligence. I help clients protect their assets during a divorce. These can include the family home, cars, retirement funds, investments, a family-owned business, and other assets. Unfortunately, in today’s economy, I typically help divorcing clients figure out how to divide debt, as well.
- Divorce and retirement funds : I help clients understand their options and possible ramifications of dividing retirement funds and pensions. Sometimes it is better to swap such assets than divide each of them.
- Spousal and child support : I help clients understand their fiscal obligations and the factors that influence child support payments. It is especially important to understand that the right to child support belongs to the child, not to the custodial parent. And never use child support as retaliation against the other parent, even when he or she is trying to prevent you from seeing your child.
- Custody and visitation : I work with parents to protect their parenting rights and custodial time or visitation with their children. As with child support, keep in mind that visitation is just as much the child’s right as it is the non-custodial parent’s. So Never use visitation to retaliate against the other parent’s failure to pay child support.
- Parental alienation : I work with parents to maintain healthy communication with the opposing spouse, and I will never help a client alienate their child from the other parent. I have had more than one judge agree with me that parental alienation is one of the most pernicious and insidious forms of child abuse. It can be truly devastating to a child.
- Relatives' rights : I work with family members who wish to maintain contact with children from the marriage after the divorce.
- Post-divorce modifications : If your situation or circumstances have changed significantly since your divorce, it may be necessary to modify the original arrangements.
- Child relocation : I assist parents who are looking to move out of state with their child, as well as parents who wish to prevent their child from leaving the state with the other parent. The common thread in these cases is whether or not the relocation is best for the child after considering all likely negative effects.
- Child abduction : I work with parents to use the legal system to find their abducted child. In every abduction case in which I have been involved except one, which is still ongoing, the child has been retrieved unharmed.
- Domestic abuse : I work with clients to provide legal support and protection for victims of abuse. I also protect people from false allegations of abuse, which is unfortunately quite common.
- Protective orders : I help clients obtain protective orders to keep themselves safe from batterers, predators, and stalkers.
- Emergency orders : I help clients obtain emergency orders not only to protect themselves, but especially to prevent harm to children and retrieve them from threatening situations.
- Mediation and settlements: I help my clients prepare for both direct settlement negotiations and mediation. Both are valuable means towards settling out of court, which can save you and your family untold thousands of dollars and a significant emotional toll.
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There is great satisfaction in knowing that I have helped family members through crises and set them on course for a brighter future. To talk to an experienced Virginia divorce and family law attorney, call my office at 703-879-7729 or contact me online .
