- Divorce•PMJF divorce and family law and lawyers work together as a team to address clients’ needs and achieve their goals.
- Child SupportThe information provided is not legal advice or a substitute for the advice of a family law and child support attorney familiar with child support laws and practices in your local area.
- Child Custody and VisitationThe importance of a well-presented child custody case cannot be overemphasized. Our child custody attorneys are here to help you whenever a child custody or visitation issue arises whether pre- or post-separation or divorce or in the case of single parents seeking custody or modification of previous custody decrees.
- AdoptionStepparent adoption – a stepparent becomes the legal parent of a stepchild, which may occur with or without the consent of the other parent
- Paternity
- Premarital AgreementPremarital agreements are basically contracts entered into prior to a marriage that establish certain rights or limitations in the event of a future divorce. Virginia Code
- GuardianshipHaving a power of attorney may avoid the need for a guardianship. If you become incapacitated and have not signed a power of attorney, someone may be forced to petition the Circuit Court to have a guardian and/or conservator appointed for you. A guardianship and/or conservatorship proceeding can be an expensive, unpleasant and slow process for you, your family, and your friends. It is expensive because you will have to pay lawyers, court fees, and other fees. It can be unpleasant because a hearing must be held in open court, and it can be slow because it takes time to get a court date for the hearing. After the hearing, the Court will decide who should be your guardian or conservator and it may not be someone you would want handling your affairs. In addition, your conservator may be required to file certain documents with the court on an ongoing basis, which can be both time-consuming and expensive.
- Spousal SupportSpousal support, sometimes referred to as alimony, is one of the most frequently litigated issues in divorce. When asking a Virginia Court to award or deny spousal support, a divorce attorney focuses argument on the following factors set forth in
- Criminal DefenseBeing charged with DUI/DWI can be a harrowing experience. A conviction for often has a far-reaching impact on a person’s life, including the loss of one’s driver license, fines, costs, and increased insurance rates, embarrassment, and even jail time. Because of the great detriment caused by such penalties it is important that the law pertaining to DUI/DWI related offenses by interpreted strictly and accurately by the Courts so that the innocent are not convicted and the guilty are not punished more harshly than the law requires. The only way to ensure that your case is handled properly is to utilize the services of an experienced DUI/DWI lawyer who is thoroughly familiar with state and local law and procedures related to DUI/DWI laws. Our criminal defense attorneys work hard to protect client rights and avoid unjust results.
- DUI/DWIOur DUI / DWI lawyers serve clients in order to serve justice and protect individual rights. We firmly believe in the sanctity of constitutional rights including the presumption of innocence, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to protection from self-incrimination.
- Wrongful DeathPlaintiffs who bring a wrongful death lawsuit may seek compensation for the damages they have suffered as the result of the defendant’s negligence. This compensation is usually referred to as the plaintiff’s “damages”. The damages sought in a wrongful death case usually involve one or more of the following types of claims...
- Traffic ViolationsOur criminal defense, DUI / DWI lawyers bring years of experience to the table to counsel and represent clients charged with a broad range of criminal offenses including: DUI or DWI, reckless driving, drug related offenses, and white collar crime offenses.
- White Collar Crimes
- Business DisputesAs an attorney, Mr. Ferrell has maintained an active practice in the fields of business and property law and personal injury law since 1976. He has extensive international business experience, having represented Virginia-based clients in business negotiations and joint venture operations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He is an active member of the Lynchburg, Campbell County and Virginia bar associations and is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and MENSA. In his home community, he has taught at Central Virginia Community College and served, for four years, as Chairman of the Local Human Rights Committee at the Central Virginia Training Center, the nation’s largest facility for the mentally impaired. He and his wife Anne have five children. He is the holder of the Green Chemistry Challenge Award, a Presidential level award of the Environmental Protection Agency. He also serves as a Commissioner in Chancery in the 24th Judicial Circuit.”
- Severance Agreement“all income from all sources, and shall include, but not be limited to, income from salaries, wages, commissions, royalties, bonuses, dividends, severance pay, pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, capital gains, social security benefits except as listed below, workers’ compensation benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, disability insurance benefits, veterans’ benefits, spousal support, rental income, gifts, prizes or awards.”
- Property Damage$20,000 jury verdict for a client involved in an auto accident resulting in minor property damage and slight injuries that required no medical treatment.
- Personal InjuryAn auto accident and personal injury attorney should tell you whether or not you need legal representation. Not every case requires litigation or full legal representation and may be settled quite easily with the negligent driver’s insurance company. As a part of our free consultation, our personal injury lawyers will speak frankly with you about whether or not legal representation is warranted in your case so you may make an informed decision going forward with your claim.
- Auto Accidents
- Estate PlanningIn some cases, estate planning requires the expertise of accountants, tax advisors, financial planners, and other professionals working in coordination with your attorney. This is usually the case when the estate exceeds applicable federal and state tax exemption limits. In these cases, an appropriate estate plan may utilize multiple trusts, gifting strategies, and other means to reduce the size of the taxable estate and as a result minimize the estate tax. If you expect for your estate to be subject to estate taxes then it is highly advisable that you start planning now by speaking with your financial advisors and contacting our office or other competent legal firm for consultation and advice. Due to the complex nature of planning for taxable estates the discussion on this site is limited to information primarily relevant to basic estate planning devices.
- Wills
- Power of AttorneyA Power of Attorney is a written document that allows you (the “principal”) to appoint another person (the “agent”) to act on your behalf. A principal may give the agent powers that are very broad or very narrow and specific. A General Power of Attorney grants broad powers to the agent usually only limited by law. An agent with a General Power of Attorney would be able to do almost anything that you could do for yourself such as buying and selling property, managing assets, entering contracts on your behalf, etc. While a General Power of Attorney may also grant some authority to make health care decisions for the principal it is more common to see a separate Health Care Power of Attorney or Advance Medical Directive dealing with these issues. On the opposite end of the spectrum from a General Power of Attorney is the Limited Power of Attorney. A Limited Power of Attorney sets limits on the agent’s authority to act and these limits may be as specific or general as the principal wishes. In other words, a Limited Power of Attorney may be used to grant a person the authority to act on your behalf solely for the purpose of selling your car for you. Outside of the particular transaction involving the sale of your car the person would not have any authority to act on your behalf.