Family Law Practice for Paralegals
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:30 – 5:00 pm
Assisting with Family Law Case Intake
Conflict check
Gathering general information
Retainer greement
Opening file
Grounds for Divorce
Preparing Pleadings and Assisting with Motion Practice
Preparing initial pleadings
• Common juvenile and circuit court pleadings
Requesting temporary relief (pendente lite motions)
• Preparing for the temporary orders hearing (PL certification)
• Preparing the temporary orders (PL orders)
Discovery
Types and governing rules
Obtaining and evaluating financial information
Identifying relevant information on assets, debts, income and expenses
Obtaining financial information
Using financial information questionnaires
Using interrogatories, requests for production, deposition testimony,
private investigators
Valuing assets
Evaluating the information you have obtained
Working with accountants and financial experts
Preparing financial statements (VADER)
Child & Spousal Support
Factors
Sources of proof
Child Custody and Visitation Issues
Factors
Sources of proof
Equitable Distribution
Factors
Determining the date of separation
VADER
Common Ethical Issues in Family Law Practice
Complying with rules of professional responsibility and
ethics guidelines for attorneys and paralegals
Avoiding conflicts of interest
Maintaining client confidentiality
Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law
Establishing and maintaining good communication with clients
Working with difficult clients
Maintaining professionalism with the courts and
opposing counsel
Credits
This seminar offers all
paralegals 7.0 CLE hours,
including 1.0 ethics hour, that
have been approved by NALA
and NFPA.
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public and offers 7.0 CLE hours, including 1.0 ethics hour, to all paralegals. The National Association of Legal Assistants and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations have each approved this seminar.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Aaron Christoff
Attorney at Law Office of Aaron Christoff PLLC in Alexandria, VAMr. Christoff has practiced family law since 2006 with a focus on complex divorce litigation primarily involving highly contested matters. His advocacy experience includes personally handling all aspects of divorce litigation at every applicable level of the Virginia Court system, including custody, support, and protective order matters in Virginia’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts; custody, support, divorce grounds, and equitable distribution matters at the Circuit Court level; and briefs filed with the Virginia Court of Appeals for both appellants and appellees. Mr. Christoff’s court appearances include cases presented in Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Stafford County, Richmond, Norfolk, and the D.C. Superior Court. He has litigated cases involving custody evaluators, protective orders, guardians ad litem, business valuation experts, psychiatrists, vocational experts, accountants, and private investigators, among others. While no stranger to the courtroom, Mr. Christoff is equally versed in resolving cases through settlement, having personally negotiated and drafted settlement agreements for matters with marital estates ranging from nothing but significant debt to those with values in the tens of millions of dollars. He has pursued and obtained settlement through mediation as well as independent negotiations for custody matters involving modifications based on relocation, special needs children, parent coordinators, international visitation arrangements, and numerous other scenarios. Mr. Christoff received his undergraduate degree in Communications with a focus on public relations from Loyola University of New Orleans in 2003. He obtained his J.D. degree from the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law in 2006. Mr. Christoff is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is an active member of the Fairfax Bar Association. He is currently president-elect of the Fairfax Bar Association Board of Directors. He is former chair of the Fairfax Bar Association Legislative Committee, former chair of the Circuit Court Domestic Relations Subcommittee, and former chair of its Judicial Funding Task Force.
Robert M. Worster
Attorney at Worster Law PLLC in Fairfax, VAMr. Worster is a Marine Corps Veteran and graduate of Mary Washington College and the University of Richmond’s School of Law. He founded Worster Law PLLC in Fairfax, Virginia, in 2019. He primarily practices family law and criminal defense as a mediator, guardian ad litem and litigator. He practices throughout Virginia in all Courts of the Commonwealth. Mr. Worster serves on the Virginia State Bar’s Professionalism Course and Disciplinary Committee. He holds an “AV Preeminent Rating” from Martindale-Hubbell and was named a “Super Lawyer” in 2021. Mr. Worster was also previously named Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year by the Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center.