Virginia Family LawUncontested · Flat-fee · Contested
In a Virginia divorce, everything follows from one question: do you agree?
Almost everyone searching for a cheap divorce in Virginia has the same real question: what will it cost, and how long will it take? The honest answer depends on whether you and your spouse agree — and where a case qualifies as uncontested, the firm can often set a flat fee at the start.
Intake line staffed 24/7/365 · attorney consultations by appointment.
1997Founded by a former prosecutor · admitted in VA, MD, DC, NJ & NY
1997Founded in Virginia
5Locations statewide
5Bar admissions (VA·MD·DC·NJ·NY)
24/7Intake, English & Spanish
Start here
Which door are you walking through?
Pick the one that fits. Each leads to a different process, timeline, and cost.
1You both agree
An uncontested divorce
You and your spouse have settled — or can settle — property, debt, support, and any custody terms. Typically no discovery and no trial. This is the path most people mean when they say "cheap," and qualifying matters are often eligible for a flat-fee engagement.
Fastest and lowest-effort route.
2Close, but not there yet
A separation agreement
You agree on most of it. The missing piece is a written separation (marital settlement) agreement that puts the terms in ink. The firm drafts it; once signed, it can convert your case to the uncontested path — and, with no minor children, open the shorter six-month waiting period.
A drafting job, not a courtroom job.
3You don't agree
A contested divorce
Property, support, or custody is genuinely disputed. This runs through pleadings, discovery, temporary relief, and, if it doesn't settle, trial in the Circuit Court. Priced to the work — you should expect a direct read on scope before you retain.
Uncontested and contested are both handled in-house.
Behind Door 1 or 2
The Virginia uncontested divorce, step by step
Here is the actual sequence — no jargon, no surprises.
1
Separation begins
The clock starts the day you begin living separate and apart with the intent to divorce. You do not file anything to start it.
2
Put the terms in writing (if you haven't)
A separation / marital settlement agreement fixes property, debt, support, and custody by contract. Optional in some cases, but it is what unlocks the shorter timeline.
3
Serve the waiting period
Under Va. Code § 20-91: one year living separate and apart, or six months if you have a signed agreement and no minor children of the marriage.
4
File the Complaint
The case is commenced by filing a Complaint in the Circuit Court for the proper venue. Virginia no longer uses the older equity-pleading terminology; the initiating document is a Complaint.
5
Final decree
Once the paperwork clears the court, the judge enters the final decree of divorce. A clean uncontested matter may not require a courtroom appearance, depending on the court and the record.
What drives the number
"Cheap" isn't a discount — it's a case type
Four factors move the number, and none of them is how hard anyone bargains. The firm identifies which apply to your facts, and what they mean for cost, before you retain.
Get your facts reviewed →01
Contested or uncontested
The single biggest driver. Trial work costs more than paperwork.
02
Minor children
Custody and support add issues to resolve and close off the six-month path.
03
Property complexity
A house, a pension, stock options, a business, or cross-border assets take more work to divide under § 20-107.3.
04
Fault
Pleading a fault ground changes strategy and timing, and each ground carries its own statutory conditions.
The quick version
Grounds for divorce in Virginia
No-fault
Living separate and apart for one year, or six months with a signed agreement and no minor children of the marriage. Va. Code § 20-91.
Fault
- Adultery — § 20-91(A)(1). No separation period required.
- Felony conviction — § 20-91(A)(3). Confinement over one year, no cohabitation after knowledge.
- Cruelty / apprehension of bodily hurt / willful desertion — § 20-91(A)(6). Suit may commence after the act; no decree until one year elapses.
Money & children: equitable distribution under § 20-107.3, spousal support under § 20-107.1, custody under the § 20-124.3 best-interests factors. Which ground applies — and whether pleading fault is worth the added time and cost — is a question for counsel on your facts.
Counsel
Handled by Virginia-admitted attorneys
Virginia matters on this site are handled by Virginia-admitted counsel. The firm's Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm.
Mr. Sris
Owner & FounderFormer prosecutor; founded the firm in 1997; admitted in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., New Jersey, and New York. Testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee in support of HB 635 (2019, chief patron Del. David Bulova), addressing Va. Code § 20-107.3(g).
Samantha Rae Powers
Of CounselAdmitted in Virginia (2023) and Florida (2005). Concentrates in family law and complex property matters.
Individual attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states. Matters on this site are handled by Virginia-admitted counsel.
Virginia locations
Five convenient Virginia locations
By appointment only at every location. The intake line at (888) 437-7747 is staffed 24/7/365.
Fairfax
Virginia HQ4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032
(703) 636-5417
Richmond
By appt7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Room 395, Richmond, VA 23225
(804) 201-9009
Ashburn
By appt20130 Lakeview Center Plaza, Room 403, Ashburn, VA 20147
(571) 279-0110
Arlington
By appt1655 Fort Myer Dr, Suite 700, Room 719, Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 589-9250
Woodstock
By appt505 N Main St, Suite 103, Woodstock, VA 22664
(888) 437-7747
The first call
Find out which door you're actually behind
The intake line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with English- and Spanish-speaking staff. Intake gathers your details and initiates a conflicts check; attorney consultations are then scheduled by appointment with Virginia-admitted counsel.
Consultations by appointment.
Common questions
Frequently asked
Cost tracks the type of case, not a discount. An uncontested divorce typically avoids discovery and trial, so it costs less than a contested one, and qualifying uncontested matters are often eligible for a flat fee. The firm reviews your facts before quoting.
Under Va. Code § 20-91, one year of living separate and apart is standard. It drops to six months if you have a signed separation agreement and no minor children of the marriage.
Not in every case, but it is what makes the six-month path available and what lets you decide property, support, and custody by contract instead of at trial. The firm drafts and reviews these agreements.
Not necessarily. Adultery under § 20-91(A)(1) carries no separation period, but the cruelty and desertion grounds under § 20-91(A)(6) require that one year elapse before a decree may be entered, and the felony ground under § 20-91(A)(3) requires confinement for more than one year. Fault also adds proof obligations. Whether it fits your case is a question for counsel.
An uncontested matter that breaks down can proceed as a contested divorce, including complex-property and custody disputes, through trial in the Circuit Court. The firm handles matters that change posture, subject to the terms of your engagement.
The intake line at (888) 437-7747 is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Attorney consultations are scheduled by appointment.
No. Every case is different, and the outcome depends on factors unique to that case. Past performance does not guarantee future results.