- DivorceI have been representing people in divorces for most of my career. I have experience with all aspects of divorce law. Whether you and your spouse are seeking an amicable, fair dissolution of your marriage or if you are seeking to end a painful, abusive relationship and keep a fair amount of your assets, I can help.
- Child SupportShared Custody (or joint physical and legal custody); Each parent has the child approximately half the time. These arrangements can split the time in any way that is feasible for the parents. Shared custody works best where the parents can “get along” with each other and where the parents live near each other. Shared custody usually means that neither parent will receive child support.
- Child Custody and VisitationA Guardian ad litem is a lawyer who represents the best interests of the child(ren). This lawyer's job is to conduct an independent investigation of your case and to make recommendations to the Court about what outcome would be best for the child(ren). The Guardian ad litem is also required to inform the Court of the children's preferences regarding custody or visitation (The Court does not have to follow these preferences, but that are one factor in determining custody and visitation).
- Spousal SupportIn the event that you are entitled to spousal support (also known as alimony), I can help. Virginia law allows spouses of either sex to seek spousal support if they can convince the court that they need it to survive and/or that it is fair that the other party supports them. Often, support proceedings require detailed examination of the parties' financial records and assets. My varied experience with all kinds of marital situations will help me win support for you if you need it.
- Child Abuse
- Criminal DefenseCriminal defense (including traffic and DUI cases): I work to provide zealous representation to my clients. I am not afraid to take criminal cases to trial. I have had specialized trial practice training from the Trial Lawyers College. This training focuses on trying cases to juries using persuasion methods that have been proven to win. I will thoroughly research the laws applicable to your case and I will keep you informed of the various options that you might have available. I will do my best to win for you. If that is not possible, I will do all I can to get you the best result possible in your circumstances.
- DUI/DWIVirginia law lays out very harsh penalties for people convicted of driving under the influence. You can review some of the penalties in the Code of Virginia. Virginia law allows anyone who has had anything at all to drink and who has any contact with the controls of an automobile (including the radio and lights) to be convicted of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The easiest way to make sure that you will never be convicted of DUI is to never drink within twenty-four hours of driving.
- Traffic ViolationsIf you or your son or daughter is charged with an alcohol-related offense, you cannot afford to take it lightly or to treat it as you would a traffic ticket. While you may be allowed to prepay the fine, doing so constitutes an admission of guilt and will cause you or your child to have a criminal history that can never be erased. Even if you are positive that you are guilty, the United States Constitution requires that the government prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Because you are presumed innocent and because our Courts recognize your rights not to be arrested or charged without probable cause, you may have legal or technical defenses that you are not able to recognize. A trained, experienced lawyer can help you recognize those defenses and, even if there are no defenses, help you avoid the lifelong stigma of a criminal conviction by negotiating some other resolution of the case with the government. Regardless of how insignificant you believe the issue is now, you should seek legal advice before you acknowledge guilt of any crime.
- Sex Crimes2. The protective order process begins with an accusation of domestic abuse. The Code of Virginia defines an act of domestic abuse as "any act involving violence, force, or threat that results in bodily injury or places one in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury and that is committed by a person against such person's family or household member." (Virginia Code §16.1-228)
- MisdemeanorsThe days of police officers confiscating beer from underage students and sending them off with a warning are over. If an adult under the age of twenty-one is found to have been drinking, or is in possession of any alcoholic beverages, they will be given a summons and charged with a misdemeanor criminal offense. If the person is in any location that is visible to members of the public and manifests any outward signs of intoxication (or disagrees with, or otherwise offends the police officer) they can expect to be charged with being drunk in public, another misdemeanor criminal offense.
- Embezzlement
- Assault
- Murder
- Hit and Run
- Business DisputesI handle small-scale contract disputes involving $15,000.00 or less I have worked with persons defending or seeking judgment in these kinds of cases since 2000, and I am very familiar and proficient in working with my local General District Courts on this kind of case.
- Landlord-Tenant DisputesAfter law school, I returned to Virginia and began practicing law. I have been licensed since 1999. I worked briefly for the Public Defender’s office in Pulaski, then worked for Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society in Marion and Christiansburg for five years. At legal aid, I represented clients in family law cases, landlord-tenant disputes, bankruptcies, and other civil cases. In 2005 I took a job with a small law firm in Montross, Virginia (on the Northern Neck). At that firm, my practice focused primarily on criminal defense. I stayed there until 2008, at which time I returned to Southwest Virginia and opened my own practice.