Capitol Hill Family Law Attorney
If you are looking for a family law attorney on Capitol Hill, the Law Offices of Tina Sharma has guided Washington families through divorce, custody, and support since 2007. We represent clients across Washington, DC with clear, compassionate advice built around what matters most to your family. Attorney Tina Sharma personally supervises every family law matter, so clients never feel lost inside the legal system during an already difficult season of life.
Quick answer: A family law attorney serving this Washington, DC community handles divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, property division, and domestic violence petitions in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Our office offers in person and virtual meetings with direct access to your attorney, and most clients begin with a Strategy Session where an attorney maps the best path forward.
Choosing the right advocates shapes what your family looks like for years afterward. Our attorneys bring extensive experience, more than 50 years combined, to every family law matter, and clients get attention from a dedicated team that treats a case as a household in transition rather than a file number.
Our attorneys assist clients with the full range of family law issues that arise in a Washington, DC household, and we do it with the discretion this community expects. Every attorney-client relationship starts with candid advice about what the law can and cannot deliver, so you keep some control over decisions that feel overwhelming. We are committed to giving a first-time client and a seasoned professional the same straight answer.
Our family law services cover the full range of issues clients face. Whether you are navigating divorce, protecting your children, or seeking assistance during a crisis at home, our attorneys build the approach around your situation. Below are the services clients ask about most, and every one of them comes with direct access to a dedicated attorney rather than a rotating queue. If you want assistance deciding which of these services fits your situation, our office will talk it through before you commit to anything.
From an uncontested filing to a high asset contested case, our divorce lawyers guide you through each stage of the divorce. Washington, DC requires that one spouse be a bona fide resident for at least six months before filing, under D.C. Code section 16-902, and no fault grounds now govern. A skilled divorce attorney brings knowledge of local practice to your position on property, alimony, and parenting time, and helps you weigh whether mediation or litigation better serves your interests.
Child custody puts your children first, and judges decide custody on the best interests of the child. Our team builds parenting plans that put your children first, pursues legal and physical custody orders, and handles relocation and modification when circumstances change. In child support cases we make sure the figures reflect real earnings, health coverage, and childcare, and we return to court when one parent ignores an order. Many child support cases need revisiting years later as children grow and income changes.
Washington, DC follows equitable distribution, so a judge divides marital property fairly rather than automatically in half. We help clients separate marital from non-marital assets, value real estate and retirement accounts, and negotiate terms that protect their financial future. Our attorneys also handle spousal support and spousal maintenance, establishing, modifying, or contesting alimony based on the length of the marriage and each spouse’s circumstances, so both parties leave the marriage on stable footing.
If you are facing domestic violence, fast action can protect you and your children. Our attorneys assist clients seeking safety in obtaining a civil protection order discreetly through the Domestic Violence Division, then stand with the family at every hearing. Your safety comes first, and our team acts quickly to reduce risk and preserve your rights. We coordinate with counsel handling any related criminal defense matter so nothing falls between the two cases.
Not every divorce case belongs in litigation. Mediation and collaborative practice let spouses resolve a divorce with less conflict and lower cost, which often spares children the strain of a drawn out fight. Our attorneys represent clients at the table, draft the agreements, and confirm any settlement holds up under local law.
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements let a couple define how assets and debts are handled before or during marriage. Our attorneys draft and review these agreements so they hold up later and reflect what both people actually intend. Married couples who acquire a business or an inheritance mid-marriage often use a postnuptial agreement to put that understanding in writing.
Clients regularly ask how long a divorce takes and where it is filed. Matters for residents here are heard at the Moultrie Courthouse on Indiana Avenue, a short trip from the neighborhood. An uncontested matter resolved by written agreement can conclude in a few months, while a contested divorce involving parenting or a complicated marital estate often runs a year or longer. We give each client a realistic timeline at the first consultation, then keep things moving with regular updates so nobody is left guessing.
Judges decide custody and property on statutory factors, not on which spouse files first, so gathering documents early and protecting your children’s routine matters far more than racing to the courthouse.
Deciding where children live is usually the hardest part of any family law matter. Washington, DC recognizes legal custody, covering major decisions about school, health, and religion, and physical custody, which sets where the children sleep. A rebuttable presumption favours joint custody serving a child’s well being. Families zoned to Brent, Maury, Watkins, and the Capitol Hill Cluster often want to keep children in place, and our attorneys build plans that preserve that continuity.
Schedule an initial meeting by phone or online, with in person or virtual options.
We review your documents and circumstances to identify the real issues and your goals.
Ready to protect your family? Book your Strategy Session today. When you contact our office with a valid phone number, you agree to receive calls and text messages about your family law matter; message and data rates may apply, and we never share your information with automated technology vendors.
We build a plan for your family law matter with transparent pricing, supervised by Attorney Tina Sharma.
We negotiate, mediate, or take the case to hearing, sending weekly updates throughout.
We close out your matter and stay available to clients for follow-up needs and related services later on.
Life in this part of Washington produces a recognizable set of family law issues, and knowing them in advance helps us safeguard what a client cares about most.
| Local Factor | How It Affects a Family Law Case | How We Help |
|---|---|---|
| Federal and legislative employment | Thrift Savings Plan accounts and federal pensions need a specific order the Office of Personnel Management will accept, not a standard one | We draft orders that survive federal review and protect your share of the retirement |
| Congressional calendars | Recess weeks, session weeks, and campaign travel make a fixed week-on week-off arrangement unworkable for many parents | We design parenting plans that flex with the legislative calendar and still give children predictability |
| Security clearances | Financial disclosures and allegations raised in a case can carry professional consequences | We handle sensitive matters discreetly and limit what enters the public record where possible |
| Historic rowhouse equity | Pre-marital homes improved with joint money create difficult marital and separate property questions | We trace contributions and appraisals so the division reflects reality |
| Cross-border households | Many families work in the city but own property in Maryland or Northern Virginia | We determine the right jurisdiction and coordinate matters across state lines |
Our attorneys represent clients throughout the city and the surrounding suburbs, including Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in Maryland. Contact our office and we will say plainly if another firm is a better partner for your matter, and many of the families involved in our cases cross the state line every day. Contact our office to confirm we cover your area, and we will say so plainly if another firm is a better partner for your matter. Many of the families involved in our cases cross the state line every day.
We Serve:
Capitol Hill, Hill East, and Navy Yard
Eastern Market, Lincoln Park, and Stanton Park
Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Bethesda, MD
Rockville and Gaithersburg, MD
Montgomery County and Prince George’s County
Cost depends on whether your divorce settles by agreement or requires a contested hearing. Our office will discuss all fees during the initial consultation and offers payment options so quality representation stays within reach for working families. Contact us and we can give you a realistic range for your situation.
One spouse must be a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia for at least six months before the case is filed, under D.C. Code section 16-902. If you recently moved, an attorney can confirm whether the District or a neighboring jurisdiction is the right place to file.
A judge decides child custody on the best interests of the child, weighing each parent's stability, the parent-child relationship, and the children's needs. Our attorneys present evidence of your parental fitness and propose plans that protect your children's routine.
An income shares guideline applies, based on both parents' income, the number of children, health insurance, and childcare costs. Our attorneys make sure income is reported accurately so the child support figure is fair to your family.
No. Equitable distribution applies, so a judge divides marital property fairly rather than automatically down the middle. An attorney helps trace separate assets and pursue a fair share for both parties.
Cases are filed with the Family Court of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia at 500 Indiana Avenue NW. Our advocates appear there regularly and know how the court's calendar works.
Yes. Washington, DC still allows a legal separation, which resolves support and parenting questions without ending the marriage. It can suit couples who need time, or who have religious or insurance reasons to stay married.
Yes. After a divorce a court can change parenting time or child support when circumstances shift substantially, such as a move, a new job, or a change in your children's needs. We help clients pursue modifications that keep orders current with real life.
Yes. Our advocates also serve Montgomery County and Prince George's County, including Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Columbia. Many clients live in one jurisdiction and work in another, and we determine where a case belongs before anything is filed.