Welcome to the Family Law Section

family law section logoThe Family Law Section works to improve the quality of family law practice in Virginia by sponsoring the Annual Family Law Seminar and the Annual Advanced Family Law Seminar, and by publishing a newsletter, the Virginia Family Law Quarterly.

The section provides information regarding family law to the public through its website and its publications (including Children and Divorce, Marriage in Virginia, Divorce in Virginia, Spare the Child, and Financial Issues in Divorce). The Virginia legislature periodically seeks and obtains information from the section, but because the Virginia State Bar is a state agency, the section does not engage in legislative advocacy.

The Family Law Section offers exclusive content for members. Ensure that you can read all the great information from the section with no delay by paying your annual section dues on July 1 every year. 

Join the Section

Sign to your Member Portal from the top right corner of any VSB webpage to join any VSB section through your Member Participation tab.

Section Liaison

Dolly Shaffner
[email protected]
(804) 775-0518

Upcoming Events

DateTitleLocation
Oct 09   |43rd Annual Family Law SeminarFairfax, VA100924AFL
Oct 23   |43rd Annual Family Law SeminarRichmond (Glen Allen), VA102324AFL
Oct 30   |43rd Annual Family Law SeminarVirginia Beach, VA103024AFL

What's New?

Family Law Section Announces Third Annual Writing Competition

Posted on 11/8/2023
The Virginia State Bar Family Law Section is sponsoring the third annual writing competition open to second and third year law students attending Virginia and Washington, D.C. law schools.

Welcome to the New VSB Website and Member Portal

Posted on 4/3/2023
The Virginia State Bar has just launched a new website and member portal to improve services and access to information for Virginia lawyers and the public. Sign in instructions for the new site included.

Ilona Grenadier Receives the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award

Posted on 3/13/2023
Ilona Ely Grenadier, founder of Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler & Rubin, P.C. in Alexandria, has received the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section’s highest accolade, the Betty Ann Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Cassandra Chin Receives Family Law Service Award

Posted on 3/9/2023
Cassandra Chin, a partner in the Northern Virginia firm of Nichols Zauzig, has been awarded the Family Law Service Award by the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section Board of Governors.

Ronald S. Evans Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Family Law

Posted on 3/24/2022
Ronald S. Evans of Barnes & Diehl in Richmond has been named the 2022 recipient of the Betty A. Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Virginia State Bar’s Family Law Section.