Experienced Fairfax, VA Lawyer Provides Comprehensive Divorce Representation

Highly responsive service leading to positive results

Divorce is a huge turning point in your life. But if you want to ensure the turn is in a positive direction, you need experienced and attentive legal counsel. At the Law Offices of Scott R. Sexauer, we have more than 30 years of family law experience handling a wide range of divorce cases. We are highly responsive to your concerns and sharply focused on solutions. When you retain our services, you get a seasoned advocate who knows what it takes to get positive results for you and your children.

Complete divorce representation for all your major issues

There are four essential issues you must settle or let the court decide before getting a judgment of divorce:

• Spousal support and temporary support — Dependent spouses may be eligible for pendente lite, or temporary, alimony during the divorce process, which may include funds for attorney fees. Spousal support after marriage is dependent on several factors, so we make sure the court is aware of all relevant information that can favorably influence a decision.
• Child support — Children are entitled to support from both parents. We work to ensure your child support order is fair and based on an accurate assessment of your financial situation.
• Child custody and visitation rights — Your relationship with your children is of paramount importance. We fight for parenting plans that protect your parental rights and advance the best interests of your children.
• Division of property — Virginia is an equitable distribution state, which means you can keep your separate property, but the court divides marital assets and debts in a manner that is fair, though not necessarily equal. We protect your claims to your separate property and bring to the court’s attention all factors necessary for a favorable allotment of the marital estate.

Throughout the process, we remain accessible and responsive to your concerns.

Cost-effective counsel for uncontested divorce

The quickest and easiest way to dissolve your marriage is through an uncontested divorce, but the way forward to that goal is not always clear. The end result of an uncontested divorce is a marital settlement agreement that you and your spouse sign and present to the court for approval. This document is a detailed account of the terms you want entered into your divorce decree. The settlement avoids the time, expense and frustration of a trial, and keeps you in control of the outcome.

But how do you arrive at such a comprehensive agreement? Processes vary, depending on your circumstances and preferences:

• Traditional negotiation — Parties to the divorce meet and confer with their attorneys, who work to hammer out a settlement. This process can be adversarial, as each attorney has a duty to protect their own client’s rights.
• Mediation — Parties to the divorce meet with a neutral third party, the mediator, who guides them through discussions on the various issues to reach a manageable compromise. Between sessions, parties confer with their own attorneys to make sure they aren’t committing to terms they might later regret. This process is less confrontational and less expensive than traditional litigation, because only the mediator is in the room for the sessions, and parties split the cost.
• Collaborative divorce — This is the most cooperative process, because both parties are represented by a single attorney who looks out for their best interests simultaneously. The couples must commit to the collaborative process, because if they back out and decide to litigate, the collaborative attorney cannot assist either side, so they have to start the whole divorce process over.

Mediation and collaborative divorce can be positive ways to rebuild a measure of trust you might need if you are going to successfully co-parent your children after divorce. While these processes are not for everyone, we can help you decide whether they might work in your case.

Contact an experienced divorce attorney in Fairfax, Virginia

To learn how the Law Offices of Scott R. Sexauer can protect your rights throughout your divorce process, call us at 703-636-2206 or contact our Fairfax office online. We offer free consultations for new clients. Our office is conveniently located at 10521 Judicial Drive in Fairfax, just across the street from the Fairfax County Circuit Court.