Livesay & Myers

The divorce attorneys at Livesay & Myers represent clients in Manassas, Woodbridge, Prince William County, Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Fairfax and Fairfax County, Alexandria, Arlington, and all of Northern Virginia.


The lawyers at Livesay & Myers, P.C. are experienced in handling every sort of family law matter in the Commonwealth of Virginia

PRACTICE AREAS

• MILITARY DIVORCE
• CIVILIAN DIVORCE
• CHILD CUSTODY AND VISITATION
• CHILD SUPPORT
• EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION
• SEPARATION AGREEMENTS
• PROTECTIVE ORDERS
• PREMARITAL AGREEMENTS
• ANNULMENTS
• ADOPTIONS
• NAME CHANGES

ATTORNEYS

James Livesay

Attorney James Livesay is the lead Family Law attorney at Livesay & Myers, P.C. After graduating from the prestigious University of Virginia School of Law in 1998, Mr. Livesay served in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps from 1998-2001, where he received the Award for Trial Advocacy from The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Committee on Military Affairs and Justice, in 1998. He went on to receive Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals in 2000 and 2001 (Gold Star in Lieu of Second Award).

Along with partner Kevin Myers, Mr. Livesay formed Livesay & Myers, P.C. in 2003, when the firm opened its first office in Woodbridge, Virginia. The firm has grown steadily since, and now encompasses a team of 9 lawyers and 7 paralegals across offices in Fredericksburg, Fairfax and Manassas, Virginia.

Drawing on his experience as a Navy JAG officer, James Livesay established the Military Divorce section of the firm in 2003 and has guided it since that time. His article, "Treatment of Disability Pay in Military Divorce," has been published on a number of online divorce websites, including Divorce Headquarters, DivorceNet, and WomansDivorce.com.

Mr. Livesay also personally handles all new no-fault, Uncontested Divorces for the firm.

In 2006, Mr. Livesay received the prestigious BV® Peer Review Rating* from Martindale-Hubbell. The BV rating is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 5-9 years. [*CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.]

James Livesay resides in Fredericksburg with his wife and three children. He works out of the firm's offices in Fredericksburg and Manassas, and represents clients throughout Northern Virginia.

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar, 1998
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, 2003
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia, 2003
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 2006
U.S. Supreme Court, 2006

Professional Memberships and Associations:
Military Officers Association of America, 2003 - Present
Fredericksburg Area Bar Association, 2004 - Present
University of Virginia Alumni Association, 2003 - Present

Professional Experience:
Livesay & Myers, P.C., Partner, 2003 - Present
Osborne|Craig, P.L.C., Manassas, Virginia, Associate Attorney, 2001 - 2003
Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia, Assistant Force Judge Advocate, 2000 - 2001
Navy Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, Defense Counsel, 1999 - 2000

Law School:University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1998 (Member, Editorial Board of the Virginia Journal of Law and Politics)

College: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, B.A., 1995 (Recipient, Virginia Tech Joseph Bernd Award, Best Paper in Political Science, 1995)

Military: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, 1998-2001.

Born: Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Email: James D. Livesay

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Matthew H. Smith

Matthew Smith practices exclusively Family Law at Livesay & Myers, P.C. He works out of the firm's offices in Fairfax and Manassas, Virginia, and represents clients all across Northern Virginia.

Mr. Smith is the attorney in the firm most experienced in navigating the Fairfax County family courts. He has experience with every type of family law matter in the courts of Fairfax, Prince William and surrounding jurisdictions, including divorce, equitable distribution, support, and custody cases.

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Smith attended the prestigious Washington College of Law at American University in Washington. He now lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Mr. Smith writes about Family Law, Custody and Divorce for The Virginia Lawyers Blog.

In his off time, Mr. Smith enjoys teaching English as a Second Language.

Practice Areas:
Divorce
Family Law
Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Military Divorce

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar, 2005
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2006
District of Columbia, 2007

Professional Memberships and Associations:
American Bar Association, 2006 - Present
Arlington County Bar Association, 2005 - Present
Fairfax Bar Association, 2005 - Present

Professional Experience:
Livesay & Myers, P.C., Associate Attorney, 2010 - Present
Condo Kelly & Byrnes, P.C., Associate Attorney, 2005 - 2010

Law School: American University, Washington College of Law, J.D., 2005

Honors and Activities:
Women and the Law Clinical Program; Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity; Students United Juvenile Justice Tutor Program.

College: University of Notre Dame, B.A., 2002

Honors and Activities:
Awarded academic scholarship by Notre Dame for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 years; selected for admission to Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honor Society; accepted to the Notre Dame London Program, Fall 2000;
University Student Senator;
Copy Editor for student newspaper;
Assistant Coordinator for Senator Hillary Clinton's Senatorial Campaign Stop in Jamestown, N.Y.;
Intern in the Office of Senator Charles Schumer.

Born:Washington, D.C.

Email: Matthew H. Smith

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Shannon D. Woods

Shannon Woods practices exclusively Family Law, Custody and Divorce at Livesay & Myers, P.C. Having litigated every type of family law matter in Virginia, Ms. Woods is no stranger to the courtroom-- and brings that experience to bear on behalf of each of her clients.

One of the firm's Military Divorce lawyers, Ms. Woods is intimately familiar with issues of military retirement, the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, the Survivor Benefit Plan, disability pay, and the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act.

Ms. Woods earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the highly rated University of Richmond School of Law, where she graduated cum laude. Prior to that, she graduated cum laude from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California.

Shannon Woods writes about Family Law for The Virginia Lawyers Blog, where she has authored articles such as Social Networking and Electronic Communications in Custody and Divorce Cases and Modification of Custody Orders in Virginia.

Ms. Woods resides with her husband in Warrenton, Virginia, and works out of the firm's office in Manassas, Virginia.

Published Works, Seminars:
Silver Linings and Golden Anniversaries," Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Family Law Section, July 2010.
Co-authored the written materials, "Administering the Estate Effectively," National Business Institute Seminar, August 2010.
Spoke on topic of "Putting the Case to Rest: Closing the Estate," National Business Institute Seminar, August 2010.
Co-authored the written materials, "Down and Out in Domestic Relations Land: Low Cost and Pro Bono Resources for Domestic Relation Attorneys," Richmond Bench Bar Fall 2010.

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar

Professional Memberships and Associations:
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (Family Law Section)
Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association
Richmond Bar Association
Metro Richmond Family Law Bar Association

Email: Shannon D. Woods

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Benjamin Carafiol

Attorney Ben Carafiol practices exclusively Family Law at the Fredericksburg office of Livesay & Myers, P.C. He combines a calm and caring demeanor toward his clients with a diligent, hard-working approach toward achieving results in court.

Mr. Carafiol is a graduate of the highly rated Wake Forest University School of Law, where he made the competitive Wake Forest Law Review. Prior to that, he graduated cum laude from the prestigious College of William & Mary, receiving several honors, including: the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship, Second Congressional District, Missouri; Monroe Scholar, The College of William and Mary; Pi Sigma Alpha, The National Political Science Honor Society; and the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Mr. Carafiol writes about Family Law, Custody and Divorce for The Virginia Lawyers Blog, where he has authored articles such as My Spouse Is Filing For Bankruptcy... Help!

Ben Carafiol resides with his wife in Dumfries, Virginia, and works primarily out of the firm's Fredericksburg office.

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia

Professional Associations and Memberships:
Virginia Bar Association
American Bar Association
Northern Virginia Bankruptcy Bar Association

Born: St. Louis, Missouri

Email: Benjamin Carafiol

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Kristina A. Cruz

Kristina Cruz practices exclusively Family Law at Livesay & Myers, P.C. She works out of the firm's office in Fairfax, Virginia, and represents clients all across Northern Virginia.

As one of the firm's Military Divorce lawyers, Ms. Cruz is intimately familiar with issues of military retirement, the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, the Survivor Benefit Plan, disability pay, and the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act.

Ms. Cruz is a member of the American Bar Association (Family Law Section), Virginia State Bar (Family Law Section), Fairfax Bar Association, Arlington County Bar Association, Virginia Women Attorney's Association (Prince William County Chapter) and the Hispanic Bar Association. She also writes about Family Law, Custody and Divorce for The Virginia Lawyers Blog.

Kristina Cruz is a resident of Arlington, Virginia.

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar, 2003

Practice Areas:
Divorce
Family Law
Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Military Divorce

Professional Memberships and Associations:
Virginia Bar Association
Richmond Bar Association

Law School:The Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law

Honors and Activities:
Certified Public Interest Advocate, Miller Center for Public Interest Advocacy
Vice President, Alternative Dispute Resolution Society; Member, Latino Law Student Association
Participant, Gourley Trial Competition.

College: The Pennsylvania State University

Honors and Activities:
Certified Public Interest Advocate

Born: New York City, New York
Additional Language(s): Spanish

Email: Kristina A. Cruz

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Tenecia Pitts Reid

A senior associate at Livesay & Myers, P.C., attorney Tenecia Pitts Reid practices exclusively Family Law. She works out of the firm's office in Manassas, Virginia, and represents clients all across Northern Virginia.

Ms. Reid earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the highly rated University of Southern California Law School in 2002, where she participated in the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. Prior to that, she graduated magna cum laude from Florida A&M University, and also participated in an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program at Vanderbilt University.

After completing law school, Ms. Reid began her career as a family law attorney in Los Angeles, California in 2003. In 2005, Ms. Reid opened her own solo practice and maintained that practice until her relocation to Virginia in 2007.

Tenecia Pitts Reid now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children.

Practice Areas:
Divorce
Family Law
Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Military Divorce

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar
California State Bar
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Professional Memberships and Associations:
American Bar Association (Family Law Section)
Virginia State Bar (Family Law Section)
Prince William County Bar Association
Loudoun County Bar Association

Law School:University of Southern California Law School, J.D., 2002

Honors and Activities:
Hale Moot Court Honors Program, Crispus A. Wright Scholarship Recipient

College: Vanderbilt University, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Science, August 1996 - April 1998
Florida A&M University, B.S. in Molecular Biology (minor: Chemistry), magna cum laude, April 1996

Honors and Activities:
Dorothy Danforth-Compton Fellow, Vanderbilt University Dean’s Graduate Fellow)
National Achievement Scholar, National Dean’s List, Pfizer Scholarship Recipient

Email: Tenecia Pitts Reid

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Stephanie Sauer

Stephanie Sauer practices exclusively Family Law at the Fredericksburg office of Livesay & Myers, P.C. Having litigated a wide variety of family law matters in Virginia, Ms. Sauer is an experienced advocate for those undergoing separation, divorce, or custody proceedings in the Fredericksburg area.

In addition, Ms. Sauer has extensive experience in adoption cases including: petitioning for third party adoption, defending against third party adoption, and cases involving termination of parental rights through the Department of Social Services.

Finally, as one of the firm's Military Divorce lawyers, Ms. Sauer is intimately familiar with issues of military retirement, the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, the Survivor Benefit Plan, disability pay, and the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act.

Ms. Sauer is a member of the American Bar Association (Family Law Section) and the Virginia State Bar (Family Law Section). She also writes about Family Law, Custody, Divorce and Adoption for The Virginia Lawyers Blog.

Stephanie Sauer works primarily out of the firm's Fredericksburg office, and represents clients in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, Caroline and surrounding areas.

Practice Areas:
Divorce
Family Law
Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Military Divorce
Adoption

Bar Admissions:
Virginia State Bar, 2003
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, 2005
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 2005
U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia, 2009

Professional Memberships and Associations:
Virginia Bar Association
Richmond Bar Association

Law School:New England Law | Boston, Boston, Massachusetts

Honors and Activities:
Women and the Law Clinical Program
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
Students United Juvenile Justice Tutor Program

College: George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Honors and Activities:
Student Body President, Student Government
Student Election Commissioner, Student Government
Scholarship Chairwoman, Gamma Phi Beta Sorority

Born: Homestead, Florida

Email: Stephanie Sauer

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Address:

Livesay & Myers 308 Wolfe Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-370-4140 703-490-3970 (FAX)

Livesay & Myers Fairfax Office 3975 University Dr. Suite 325 Fairfax, Virginia 22030 703-865-4746

Livesay & Myers Manassas Office 9843 Business Way Manassas, Virginia 20110 703-361-7735

Main Web Site: www.lawyers-virginia.com

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