Virginia Child Support Lawyers

Parents have a legal duty to support their children to the best of their ability. Our experienced Virginia family law attorneys are familiar with the complex issues of Virginia child support laws. In the past, child support was often set on the basis of sworn financial statements, an arrangement that encouraged individuals to inflate their expenses and liabilities and minimize income and assets. An important development in child support law has been the introduction of statutory child support guidelines in Virginia. This has lent much needed uniformity to child support disputes. Child support payment obligations in Virginia are now set according to a formula which considers each party's gross income for the purpose of determining child support liability.  In Virginia, gross income means income from all sources, and includes:

• Income from salaries, wages, commissions, royalties, bonuses, dividends, and severance pay
• Pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, and capital gains
• Social security benefits, with certain exceptions
• Workers' compensation benefits
• Unemployment insurance benefits
• Disability insurance benefits
• Veterans' benefits
• Spousal support
• Rental income
• Gifts, prizes or awards

Gross income is subject to deduction of reasonable business expenses for persons with income from self-employment, a partnership, or a closely held business.  Courts may also consider certain additional factors and deviate from the Virginia child support guidelines if appropriate. 

Virginia Spousal Support Attorneys

Our experienced Virginia family law attorneys are familiar with the complex issues of Virginia spousal support laws. We strive to reach a just and fair agreement between our client and the opposing party whenever possible. If an acceptable agreement cannot be reached, we vigorously pursue and protect our client's rights in court.  Virginia courts are required to consider a number of factors in arriving at a fair spousal support award, including:

• Financial needs and resources of each spouse
• Age of each spouse
• Physical and mental condition of each spouse
• Financial contributions to the marriage
• Length of the marriage
• Standard of living established during the marriage

Our office is conveniently located in Vienna, near Tyson's Corner in Northern Virginia, we routinely handle cases in the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William, as well as in the city of Alexandria.  We also accept cases in nearly all other Virginia jurisdictions, and we have represented clients in the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Caroline, Frederick, Goochland, King George, Middlesex, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Stafford and Spotsylvania, as well as in the cities of Fredericksburg and Winchester.  To learn more about the Virginia family law and divorce lawyers at The Maddox Law Firm, P.C. please contact us today.  For further information about a variety of legal topics please visit our E-Newsletter, Family Law Practice Center, or Child Custody & Visitation Practice Center.