Contested Divorce
Litigated divorce where grounds, property, support, or custody remain in dispute.
Experienced Counsel · Est. 1997
Family Law Lawyer — Virginia, Maryland, DC, New Jersey, and New York.
Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. represents clients in divorce, custody, support, and marital property matters across five jurisdictions. Mr. Sris is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York.
Toll-free message intake · 24 / 7 / 365 · Attorney consultations scheduled by appointment
Five Jurisdictions
VirginiaCircuit Courts
MarylandCircuit Courts
District of ColumbiaSuperior Court
New JerseyFamily Part
New YorkSupreme Court
Five jurisdictions
Virginia · Maryland · DC · New Jersey · New York
Since 1997
The firm has practiced family law since its founding
Former prosecutor
Courtroom experience from both sides of a case
EN · ES
Bilingual support available in English and Spanish
Attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states. Results may vary.
Family law is decided by the state you are standing in.
The same set of facts can produce a different result in Fairfax, Rockville, Washington, Tinton Falls, or Buffalo. Grounds for divorce differ. The way a court classifies and divides marital property differs. The factors a judge weighs in a custody decision are written into each state's own code, and they are not interchangeable. A family matter that touches more than one of these jurisdictions — a spouse who has moved, a child who lives across a state line, a retirement account earned in one state and litigated in another — needs counsel who works in all of them.
Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. has practiced since 1997. Mr. Sris is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, and represents clients in family matters in each. That admission footprint is the reason the firm can take a matter that starts in one state and follows the family into another.
What is actually at stake
Custody, support, and the division of a marital estate are decided once and then live with a family for years. Modifying them later requires showing a material change in circumstances — a higher bar than getting the terms right the first time.
Local procedure is not a detail
Filing requirements, residency thresholds, service rules, and scheduling practice differ between Virginia circuit courts, Maryland circuit courts, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the New Jersey Superior Court Family Part, and the New York courts. Procedure decides how much of your case a judge ever hears.
Decisions made early
What you agree to in the first weeks — a separation agreement, a temporary support arrangement, a parenting schedule that quietly becomes the status quo — often shapes what a court will do at the end. We would rather talk with you before that, not after.
Practice Areas
Family law matters we handle.
Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. practices in the following family law areas across Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York.
Uncontested Divorce
Divorce resolved by agreement, reduced to a written settlement and presented to the court.
Legal Separation & Separation Agreements
Negotiating and drafting the written agreement that governs a couple's separation.
Marital Settlement Agreements
Drafting and reviewing the agreement that resolves property, support, and parenting terms.
Equitable Distribution & Property Division
Classifying marital and separate property and dividing the marital estate.
High Net Worth & Business Valuation Matters
Divorces involving closely held businesses, stock compensation, or complex asset structures.
Retirement & Pension Division
Dividing the marital share of pensions, retirement plans, and deferred compensation.
Child Custody & Visitation
Legal custody, physical custody, parenting time, and access schedules.
Relocation & Interstate Custody
Custody matters where a parent proposes to move, or where two states are involved.
Child Support & Modification
Establishing support under state guidelines and seeking modification when circumstances change.
Spousal Support & Alimony
Establishing, defending, and modifying spousal support and alimony awards.
Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
Drafting and reviewing agreements made before or during a marriage.
Paternity & Parentage
Establishing the legal parent-child relationship and the rights that follow from it.
Adoption & Stepparent Adoption
Petitions to establish a permanent legal parent-child relationship.
Annulment
Petitions to declare a marriage void or voidable on statutory grounds.
Military & Service Member Divorce
Divorces involving service members, military pay, and military retirement benefits.
Guardianship
Petitions concerning the care and decision-making authority for a minor.
Enforcement & Contempt
Enforcing existing custody, support, and property orders.
Cross-Border Family Matters
Matters involving parties, assets, or prior proceedings outside the United States.
Jurisdiction Snapshot
How the five jurisdictions differ.
The summaries below are general information about the statutory framework in each jurisdiction. They are not legal advice, and they do not account for the facts of any particular matter.
Virginia
Divorce is heard in the circuit courts, which have exclusive original jurisdiction (Va. Code § 20-96). Virginia recognizes both fault-based grounds and a no-fault ground based on separation (Va. Code § 20-91). A domiciliary residency requirement applies (Va. Code § 20-97). Marital property is divided by equitable distribution, and the court may direct payment of a percentage of the marital share of a pension or retirement plan (Va. Code § 20-107.3). Custody is decided on the best interests of the child, using ten statutory factors (Va. Code § 20-124.3). Spousal support is governed by Va. Code § 20-107.1, and child support by the guidelines at Va. Code § 20-108.1, which are presumptively correct and rebuttable.
Maryland
Maryland's absolute divorce statute now provides three grounds only (Md. Code Family Law § 7-103). Fault grounds such as adultery, cruelty, and desertion were removed from the statute, and "limited divorce" is no longer part of the framework. Property is addressed through a monetary award used to adjust the equities of the marital property (Md. Code Family Law § 8-205).
District of Columbia
The District recognizes a single ground for divorce — an assertion that the parties no longer wish to remain married (D.C. Code § 16-904). There is no separation period and no fault ground. A six-month residency requirement applies (D.C. Code § 16-902). Marital property is distributed equitably, and separate property is assigned (D.C. Code § 16-910).
New Jersey
Grounds for absolute divorce are set out at N.J.S.A. 2A:34-2. Custody is decided under the best-interests factors at N.J.S.A. 9:2-4, which also addresses the statutory preference for joint custody where it serves the child. Matters are heard in the Family Part of the Superior Court of New Jersey.
New York
New York recognizes a no-fault ground alongside several fault grounds. Matrimonial actions are heard in the Supreme Court of the State of New York; custody and support matters may also be heard in Family Court. New York divides marital property by equitable distribution rather than as community property.
Statutes change. The summaries above reflect our reading of the cited provisions as of the date of publication and are not a substitute for advice about your matter.
Mr. Sris
Owner and Founder · Former prosecutor · Practicing since 1997
Our Founder
Meet Mr. Sris, our founder.
Mr. Sris founded Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. in 1997 and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. He represents clients in family law matters across those five jurisdictions. As a former prosecutor, he brings courtroom experience from both sides of a case to the matters the firm handles.
Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee in support of 2019 HB 635 (chief patron Del. David Bulova).
A family matter is not a file. It is a household, and it is your household.Read Mr. Sris's Bio
Who works on your matter.
Mr. Sris leads the firm's family law work and is admitted in all five jurisdictions the firm serves. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. also works with Of Counsel attorneys who contract directly with the firm. Each Of Counsel attorney is admitted in specific jurisdictions, and a matter is staffed to an attorney admitted where it is filed. Attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states.
What working with us looks like.
Step 1
Request a consultation
Call (888) 437-7747 or send a message through the contact form. Our toll-free line takes messages 24 / 7 / 365. Consultations are scheduled by appointment, in person or by video.
Step 2
We map the jurisdiction
Before anything else, we identify which state's law and which court govern your matter — residency, filing venue, and whether another state already has an order in place.
Step 3
We set out your options
You will get a plain account of the routes available to you, what each one typically requires, and where the pressure points in your particular facts are likely to be.
Step 4
We move
Negotiation, drafting, filing, and hearings, with the strategy set at the start and revisited as the matter develops.
Every matter follows its own path. Results may vary.
Where we practice.
Reach us by toll-free intake at (888) 437-7747. The intake line is a message line and takes messages 24 / 7 / 365; it is not attorney availability. Every location is by appointment only.
Buffalo, New York
50 Fountain Plaza, Suite 1400Buffalo, NY 14202
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
NJ_LOCATION_STREET_ADDRESS — supply from lease / NAP recordsTinton Falls, NJ 07724
Fairfax, Virginia
VA_FAIRFAX_STREET_ADDRESS — supply from lease / NAP recordsRockville, Maryland
MD_ROCKVILLE_STREET_ADDRESS — supply from lease / NAP recordsAreas served: Virginia · Maryland · District of Columbia · New Jersey · New York
Common Questions
Questions we are asked most.
If your question is not here, call (888) 437-7747 and we will tell you what your options look like in your jurisdiction.
Which states does Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handle family law matters in?
Mr. Sris is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, and the firm handles family law matters in each of those five jurisdictions. Attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states, and a matter is staffed to an attorney admitted in the state where it is filed.
What are the grounds for divorce in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia?
They are not the same. Virginia recognizes both fault-based grounds and a no-fault ground based on separation (Va. Code § 20-91). Maryland's absolute divorce statute now provides three grounds only (Md. Code Family Law § 7-103); the older fault grounds and "limited divorce" are no longer part of that framework. The District of Columbia recognizes a single ground — an assertion that the parties no longer wish to remain married — with no separation period and no fault ground (D.C. Code § 16-904). Which framework applies to you depends on where you can properly file.
How is marital property divided in a divorce?
All five jurisdictions divide property equitably rather than as community property, but the mechanics differ. Virginia classifies property as marital or separate and distributes the marital estate, and the court may direct payment of a percentage of the marital share of a pension or retirement plan (Va. Code § 20-107.3). Maryland uses a monetary award to adjust the equities of the marital property (Md. Code Family Law § 8-205). The District of Columbia distributes marital property equitably and assigns separate property (D.C. Code § 16-910). Equitable does not mean equal, and classification is often where the real dispute sits.
How does a court decide child custody?
Custody is decided on the best interests of the child. Virginia sets out ten statutory factors a court shall consider (Va. Code § 20-124.3). New Jersey sets out its own best-interests factors and addresses joint custody at N.J.S.A. 9:2-4. The factors are written into each state's code and are not interchangeable, so the same parenting history can be weighed differently depending on where the case is heard.
Can a support or custody order be changed later?
Existing orders can be revisited, but not simply because a party is unhappy with them. Modification generally requires showing a material change in circumstances since the order was entered, and the standard and the procedure vary by jurisdiction. That is why the terms entered at the outset matter as much as they do.
How do I request a consultation?
Call (888) 437-7747 or send a message through our contact form. Our toll-free line takes messages 24 / 7 / 365, and consultations are scheduled by appointment, in person or by video. We will gather some details about your situation and arrange a time for you to speak with an attorney.
Do you offer services in Spanish?
Yes. Bilingual support is available in English and Spanish (Español) so that you can follow your matter and communicate in the language you are most comfortable in.