Family Law

 

How We Help:

Legal Services of Northern Virginia attorneys assist clients both through direct representation in family law cases and, in conjunction with our Pro Bono Coordinator, through mentoring pro bono attorneys involved in our innovative pro bono projects which currently include the Attorney of the Day Domestic Violence Pro Bono Project in Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria and Uncontested Divorce Clinics.

Case Acceptance Guidelines:

We prioritize which cases we accept in terms of our mission, as follows:

 

• Domestic Violence: Our first priority is to assist in cases where the physical safety of our clients and/or their children is at risk.
• Custody and/or Visitation: We prioritize assisting in cases where children’s physical and/or emotional health are at stake; either because the children are at risk of physical harm or because relationships which are vital to the children’s emotional health are being severely curtailed or are at risk of being so.
• Child Support: In cases where we are representing on issues of protective orders or custody, we will sometimes provide representation to establish support unless the Department of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) is already actively pursuing support.
• Spousal Support: In cases where we are representing on issues of protective orders or custody, we will sometimes provide representation to establish spousal support unless the Department of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) is already actively pursuing support. Divorce: We will sometimes enter into divorce cases that involve issues of domestic violence or where the children’s physical and/or emotional health appears to be at stake.

 

Helping Survivors of Domestic Violence

Serving survivors of domestic violence is one of LSNV’s highest priorities. In the past year, we represented survivors of domestic violence in 938 legal cases. LSNV works to ensure that every domestic violence survivor who qualifies for our services has the opportunity to be represented by an attorney in a protective order hearing. We help survivors obtain protection from their batterers, as well as other remedies such as temporary custody of minor children, housing and child support that they may need to obtain homes and lives safe from abuse. In addition, we prioritize helping survivors of domestic violence in long-term legal cases (e.g., custody, support and divorce) that they may need to rebuild their lives after leaving abusive relationships. If you are a survivor of domestic violence, please call any of our offices for assistance. The following links may also help you to find services in your area, safety planning and other resources:

Virginia Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Action Alliance
National Coalition against Domestic Violence

Attorney of the Day Program

Our innovative Attorney of the Day program is a collaboration between legal aid and the court services staff of two jurisdictions that we serve: Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria. Survivors of domestic violence receive pro bono representation by volunteer attorneys on their civil protective order cases. By signing up for particular days well in advance, volunteer attorneys will have a predictable schedule and a very limited time commitment. LSNV’s experienced staff will also provide initial training and ongoing mentoring to any interested attorneys. A law degree is a powerful tool with which you can help make our community safer. If you are an attorney interested in participating in this effort or want more information, please contact LSNV’s Pro Bono Coordinator, Jennifer Haberlin at jhaberlin@lsnv.org.