Thursday, April 10, 9:00 a.m.–4:45 p.m. ET
| MCLE Credit: | 6.0 (Ethics: 1.0) |
| Live-Interactive Credit: | 6.0 (all formats) |
| GAL for Children CE Credit: | 5.5 (GAL Information) |
| Designation Credit: | 6.0 Divorce and Family Law Practice, 1.0 Ethics (Designations Information) |
All registrants will receive access to a complete set of downloadable e-book seminar materials. No printed materials will be available.
Live on Site: (lunch included)
Webcast:
Telephone:
Cosponsored with the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar
Join us as we celebrate more than four decades of presenting this dynamic seminar!
Our faculty once again comprises judges, experienced practitioners, and experts in the field of family law. They will present updates and share their expert advice on topics that are vital to family law practitioners in Virginia.
New Venue for 2025 Seminar: This year’s seminar will take place at the lovely Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa in Short Pump, conveniently located just off I-64. This location provides ample meeting space and offers complimentary parking for those attending the seminar.
Praise from Attendees of Recent Seminars:
“Excellent!”
“I consider this an indispensable seminar every year, to maintain my ethical duty of competence.”
“High level, dynamic presenters, varied content—very high quality.”
The Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump Reservation Information
A room block has been reserved at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump. In order to receive the special group rate of $159 (plus tax), reservations must be made on or before 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 10, or until the block is filled, using the following link: Booking link:VA CONTINUING LEGAL CI
Registration Deadlines:
| Webcast: | 10 minutes prior to seminar. If you register for a webcast the day of the seminar, your e-mail receipt will include a link to launch the seminar and download the materials. |
| Telephone: | Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar Call (800) 979-8253 to register up to one hour prior to the seminar |
| Live on Site: | Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar Walk-in registration is permitted on a space-available basis |
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation/transfer requests will be honored until 5:00 p.m. the day preceding the seminar. You will, however, be charged $90 if you cancel or transfer your registration to a different seminar after the link to the materials has been e-mailed by Virginia CLE®.
Full refunds or transfers are available up to two days after a webcast in the unlikely event that you experience technical difficulties.
Dietary Restrictions: If you have dietary restrictions and are attending the seminar in person, please email tfitzgerald@vacle.org.
Inclement Weather Policy and Updates.
MCLE Credit Caveat: The MCLE Board measures credits by the time you spend in attendance. If you enter a seminar late or leave it early, or both, you must reflect those adjustments accurately in the credits you report on your credit reporting form. A code will be given at the end of the seminar, which must be written on your MCLE form.
Private recording of this program is prohibited.
Can’t Attend?
E-mail distance_ed@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program is made available as an online or USB seminar.
E-mail publications@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program’s seminar materials are made available for sale.
| 8:30 | Registration |
| 9:00 | Case Law Update Craig W. Sampson, Esq. A thorough review of significant family law cases affecting Virginia attorneys. |
| 9:50 | Legislative Update Daniel L. Gray, Esq. A comprehensive summary of the status of recent legislative changes affecting family law in Virginia. |
| 10:30 | Break |
| 10:45 | The Quest to Impute Income—Effective Use of Evidence and Experts Hon. Andrew S. Baugher, Hon. Randall G. Johnson, Jr., Steve Shedlin, M.Ed., CRC, Mitchell D. Broudy, Esq., with Wyatt Taylor, Esq., moderating Support is largely about numbers. Or is it? The Virginia Code allows a court to determine child support and spousal support based on a consideration of whether a party is underemployed and what that party’s earning capacity is. Providing the court sufficient proof of what a party can do, their availability to do it, and the income that could be earned doing it can come in the form of different evidence and testimony. A panel of attorneys, judges, and experts will discuss how to gather the facts and present the information to the court and when it is persuasive to the trier of fact. |
| 11:45 | Lunch (provided live on site) |
| 12:45 | Awards Ceremony: Betty Ann Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award and the Family Law Service Award |
| 1:00 | Decoding Drug Tests: Best Practices and Strategies Hon. Stephanie Ayers, Paul Mungo, and Lori Battistoni, Esq., with Nicole Thurston, Esq., moderating This panel, consisting of a Juvenile Court Judge, a guardian ad litem, and an expert in drug testing, will explore the various types of drug tests a court can order parents to undergo in custody matters and how to request the best one for your case. |
| 2:30 | Break |
| 2:45 | Divorce and Deeds: The Dos, the Don’ts, and the Dangers Amanda Sams, Esq. It is standard practice for many divorce attorneys to draft their own deeds transferring real property at the conclusion of a divorce, but few domestic attorneys have any formal training on deed preparation and getting it wrong can have terrible consequences. Learn the pitfalls for drafting and recording deeds, as well as what to look for when reviewing deeds prepared by other attorneys. We will also briefly touch on how to guide our separated clients who were never married. |
| 3:45 | The Ten Clients Who May Get You Disbarred and How to Deal with Them Ethically (1 hour of Ethics) This practical session dives into key ethical dilemmas such as handling lying clients, managing overly aggressive or vindictive demands, navigating confidentiality breaches, and dealing with clients who jeopardize their own cases. Using real-world examples, disciplinary opinions, and Virginia’s Rules of Professional Conduct, the presenters will provide possible strategies to manage these high-risk clients while safeguarding your ethical obligations and professional reputation. In an approachable fashion, the presenters will seek to be both valuable and lighthearted while conveying the importance of maintaining ethical standards even in the face of clients who are inherently difficult. |
| 4:45 | Adjourn |
Hon. Stephanie Ayers, Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, 24th Circuit / Bedford
Hon. Andrew S. Baugher, 26th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia / Rockingham County
Hon. Randall G. Johnson, Jr., 14th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia / Henrico County
Hon. Daniel E. Ortiz, Court of Appeals of Virginia / Richmond
Lori Battistoni, CASA / Prince William County
Mitchell D. Broudy, Office of the Attorney General / Virginia Beach
Daniel L. Gray, Cooper Ginsberg Gray PLLC / Fairfax
Paul Mungo, Drug Testing Solutions of Virginia / Virginia Beach
Bruce H. Russell, II, Bruce H. Russell, II, PC / Lebanon
Craig W. Sampson, Barnes & Diehl, PC / Richmond
Amanda Sams, Shaheen Law Firm / Virginia Beach
Steve Shedlin, Rehabilitation Experts of Maryland, Inc. / Rockville, MD
Wyatt Taylor, Owens & Owens / Richmond
Nicole Thurston, Mahoney, Richmond, Thurston, LLC / Virginia Beach
Barry J. Waldman, Waldman & Associates PLLC / Fredericksburg
Craig W. Sampson, Barnes & Diehl, PC / Richmond
Hon. Daniel E. Ortiz, Court of Appeals of Virginia / Richmond
Nanda E. Davis, Davis Law Practice PLLC / Roanoke
Jennifer L. Fuschetti, Garriott Maurer, PLLC / Virginia Beach
Sarah J. Knapp, ShounBach / Fairfax
Andrew T. Richmond, Mahoney Richmond Thurston, PLLC / Virginia Beach
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