Our Family Law Services

Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield offers clients throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia, and even internationally the benefit of over 80 years’ combined experience in family law. We have extensive experience with numerous circumstances that can complicate family disputes, and we provide a wide range of dispute resolution options that allow us to customize our approach to each client’s unique needs.

Maryland

Maryland Family Law

The Maryland family law attorneys of Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield have decades of experience representing Maryland residents in family law matters including divorce, custody, and support cases. Consistently recognized for their skill by such publications as Bethesda Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers, the firm’s attorneys are known for their creative and strategic approach to family dispute resolution.

Divorce

Put in the simplest terms, divorce is the legal process that ends a marriage. But as anyone who has ever considered or experienced a divorce knows, little about this process is simple. Just as marriage is more than a legal relationship, divorce…
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Divorce Mediation

Divorce, custody, and other family law disputes are rarely easy or comfortable to resolve. Too often, the fallout from a contentious legal battle lingers for years, leaving emotional scars on both parties and making it difficult to co-parent together. While litigation is…
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Child Custody

If you are a parent, nothing matters more to you than your children. When you are divorcing or ending a relationship with your children’s other parent, the issue of child custody is naturally foremost in your mind. Questions like: How much time…
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Child Support

Parenthood, as every parent quickly learns, carries many responsibilities. One of these is the obligation to support your children financially. As a parent, you are committed to providing your children a stable, safe place to live and the material things and services…
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Alimony

When faced with divorce, you are likely concerned about your financial future, including whether you can receive alimony or may be asked to pay it. At Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield, we will help you understand how Maryland alimony law applies to your…
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Domestic Violence in Maryland

Domestic violence can happen to anyone. While men are most often the perpetrators of domestic violence in Maryland and women most often the victims, both men and women commit acts of domestic abuse and experience abuse. Domestic violence cuts across lines of…
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Legal Process Options for Divorce in Maryland

If you are contemplating a divorce, or your spouse has asked for a divorce, you already know that your life is about to change. You may not be able to change the fact that your marriage needs to end, but you have…
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Equitable Distribution of Marital Property

Division of property is often one of the most contentious issues in a divorce. It is frequently depicted humorously in TV shows and movies, but dividing up your marital assets in real life is no laughing matter, especially if those assets are…
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Mutual Consent Divorce

A number of states require couples to have fault grounds for divorce—in other words, legal reasons that justify ending the marriage based upon the bad acts of a spouse. Common fault grounds for divorce include adultery or physical abuse. The public policy…
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Same-Sex Marriage

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges made same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states. While married couples of the same sex have all the same legal rights as any other married couples, they may still face some…
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Appeals

Sometimes the decision a judge makes after the trial in a family law matter just has to be appealed. This might be because the judge’s ruling was so devastatingly unfavorable to you that it needs redress. This might also be because even…
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District of Columbia

Washington, D.C. Family Law Attorneys

The Washington, D.C. family law attorneys of Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield have decades of experience representing residents of the District of Columbia in family law matters including divorce, custody, and support cases. With a reputation for creative and effective advocacy, they are regularly recognized for their skill in family law disputes by such publications as Washingtonian Magazine, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.

Divorce

Marriage is a social, emotional, and financial relationship as well as a legal one. When you divorce, you do more than sever the legal relationship of your marriage; you must untangle those other threads as well so that you can move forward…
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Child Custody

For most parents, issues relating to their children are some of the most difficult to resolve. As a parent, you may be concerned not only about your children’s well-being, but about how the custodial and time-sharing arrangements will affect your relationship with…
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Child Support

With parenthood comes the responsibility to financially support one’s children. While that support occurs naturally when children live together with both of their parents, the issue of child support becomes more challenging, and often contentious, when parents occupy different households. The end…
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Alimony

Alimony, also called spousal support, is a significant concern for many divorcing couples. If one spouse has been the primary breadwinner, the other spouse may need alimony to manage financially during or after divorce. The higher-earning spouse may be concerned not only…
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Prenuptial Agreements in DC

What is a prenuptial agreement? Simply put, a prenuptial agreement, or prenup, is a contract between two people who plan to be married. Many people think of a prenuptial agreement in terms of its effect on a divorce, but a valid prenuptial…
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Domestic Violence in DC

Anyone can experience domestic violence. It is not limited to any gender, sexual orientation, race, age, religion, or socioeconomic status. Despite this reality, many victims of domestic violence in the District of Columbia and elsewhere struggle to seek help and protection. Despite…
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Legal Process Options for Divorce in DC

What kind of divorce do you want? It may seem like an odd question, but there are many ways to approach divorce depending on your situation and needs. Contrary to popular belief, not every couple needs to go through a lengthy court…
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Equitable Distribution of Marital Property

Divorce does more than sever the legal relationship we call marriage; it also divides the marital property you and your spouse have accumulated. The assets with which you leave your marriage provide you with the financial foundation for building your new life,…
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Same-Sex Marriage

It wasn’t many years ago that the White House was bathed in rainbow lights to herald the Supreme Court decision making same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States. A marriage between partners of the same sex is now, simply, marriage. But while…
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Appeals

While most divorces and family law cases end in a settlement negotiated by the parties, some can be resolved only by trial. Often these cases involve complex issues and parties with diametrically opposed positions. These cases are heard by a judge, whose…
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Virginia

Virginia Family Law Attorneys Serving Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Loudoun

Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield offers a wide range of family law services to clients in Virginia. Our firm’s family law attorneys are available to represent Virginia residents in divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, equitable distribution of marital property, and related matters. We have received numerous recognitions for excellence in practice from regional and national publications, including Washingtonian Magazine, Bethesda Magazine, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.

Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield concentrate their practice in the area of family law. This exclusive focus enables the firm’s attorneys to provide clients with an unmatched depth of experience, attentive personal service, and creative, strategic advocacy designed for family law issues.

Attorneys: Emily Neuhausen

Divorce

Virginia Divorce Attorneys Serving Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Loudoun Divorce is a legal process, but it has emotional, financial, and social impacts. Because the effects of divorce extend into almost every aspect of your life, it can feel overwhelming; this is true even…
Attorneys: Emily Neuhausen
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Child Custody

When a marriage or relationship ends, child custody is often one of the most difficult issues to resolve. If you are a parent, your child’s well-being is your priority, and parenting when parents live separately can be a challenge. You may worry…
Attorneys: Emily Neuhausen
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Spousal Support

When two spouses no longer share the same household, their total living expenses often go up, and their total income usually does not. It’s also often the case, especially in a long-term marriage, that one spouse is financially dependent on the other.…
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International

International Family Law

When there are international components to a family law dispute, an otherwise straightforward matter becomes complicated, and an already complex one can become even more convoluted and difficult to resolve. When so much is at stake, it is essential to work with attorneys who understand the complexities of international family law, including divorce in another country, child custody, alimony and support, and division of marital assets located abroad. The attorneys of Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield have decades of experience helping clients successfully prevent and resolve international family law disputes.

International Divorce

International Divorce can refer to any situation where the family has a significant relationship with more than one country. Obviously, this definition is broad, and might apply to a wide variety of cases. It could be that the couple has different citizenships…
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International Child Custody

Child custody, including devising or modifying an access schedule, is often challenging. When parents are living, or planning to live, in different countries, the logistics of child custody and parenting time become still more complex. The goal, as always, remains to create…
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International Relocation and Child Abduction

The attorneys of Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield have decades of experience helping clients navigate the complexities of international child custody disputes. Based in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area, our team is accustomed to dealing with a diverse, mobile international community and the…
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Special Circumstances

Special Circumstances in Family Law

Every marriage and every family is unique. So is every family law dispute. But sometimes there are special circumstances that make a divorce, custody, or other family law case even more challenging: unique or significant marital assets to divide, high-conflict personalities, domestic violence, multi-state issues, and more. The attorneys of Strickler, Platnick & Hatfield have over 80 years of combined experience in dealing with even the most complicated family situations, and a strong track record of success in helping clients resolve those situations with a favorable outcome.

Divorce After 50

Many people think of divorce as something that happens mostly to younger couples, and it is true that the majority of divorces occur within this subset. That said, and while the general divorce rate has declined during the past 20 years, the…
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Divorce for Business Owners

Divorce is never easy, but certain factors can make it significantly more complicated. One such factor is when one or both spouses have an ownership interest in an active business. From a financial perspective, such a business may be both an asset…
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High-Conflict Divorce and Custody

Most divorces and custody cases involve some level of conflict between parties. While conflict is unpleasant, it is to be expected. With the help of experienced counsel who understand how to avoid fueling conflict, most couples can work through episodic conflict to…
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Enforcement and Modification of Orders

Your divorce decree, child custody order, alimony order, award of attorneys fees, and child support order function as “private laws” governing only the parties involved: you and your ex-spouse or co-parent. Like any laws, these orders are only helpful if they can…
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Expert Witness Services

Expert witnesses can play a crucial role in many family law cases, whether before litigation, during litigation, or at trial. Sometimes one or more complicating factors raise the stakes of the case beyond the “normal” family law situation. The case may involve…
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Prenuptial Agreements

Marriage is a deeply personal relationship, but it is also a legal and financial arrangement as well. Many engaged couples understandably may focus more on the personal aspects of the relationship and wedding planning, and may not devote enough attention to the…
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Domestic Violence

At its heart, domestic violence is about control—specifically, about one person having power over another in the context of an intimate relationship. Domestic violence is more than physical abuse. It involves a pattern of behavior by one partner to control the actions…
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High Asset Divorce

Divorce is rarely simple; however, when a marriage involves significant or complex assets, the potential for complications—and conflict—go up. The more there is to fight about, the more there is to lose. Oftentimes, once fighting begins, it tends to escalate--along with legal…
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Forensic Child Custody Evaluation

Child custody is one of the most hotly contested issues in family law cases. If parents cannot agree upon how they will each spend their respective time with children, or how they will make important decisions for their children after separation or…
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Relocation Child Custody Cases

Child custody matters are challenging enough when parents live near each other and the children can see both parents on a regular basis. When one parent needs or wants to move out of the area, the logistics of child custody become even…
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Multi-State Issues

Our society is increasingly a mobile one. While it usually is better for a child to have their parents living near one another, it often is impractical. One parent may need to move for employment opportunities, to be closer to family or…
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Recouping Litigation Costs

When faced with divorce, child custody or another family law dispute, your focus should be on achieving your legal goals and moving forward, building the future you want after your case is resolved. Unfortunately, for many people, the cost of legal fees…
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