Grandparent Custody/Visitation Archives - Nichols Zauzig

6 Nichols Zauzig Partners Honored by Best Lawyers® for 2024

Maureen — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 22:17:52 +0000

Congratulations to Chuck Zauzig, Paul F. Nichols, Cassandra M. Chin, Claire Keena and Melissa Ray for being selected by their peers to be included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. We also congratulate Mike Hollingsworth for being selected by his peers for the 2024 Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch.”

Mr. Zauzig and Mr. Nichols have each been recognized annually since 2006. Mr. Zauzig is included for both Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Mr. Nichols is recognized for Family Law, as is Ms. Chin, for the fourth consecutive year.

Ms. Keena, selected by Best Lawyers for Personal Injury Litigation since 2021, earned the honor again for 2024. Ms. Ray has been selected for the second consecutive year for Medical Malpractice Law. Mr. Hollingsworth has been honored by Best Lawyers for inclusion in the “Ones to Watch” for the third year.

Best Lawyers in America is an annually released peer review guide to the legal profession. For more details on methodology and the selection process, visit www.bestlawyers.com.

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Nichols Zauzig Recognized Among Largest Law Firms in Virginia

Maureen — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:21:36 +0000

Nichols Zauzig is pleased to be named as one of the largest law firms in Virginia, according to Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The 2023 survey of “Virginia’s Largest Law Firms” is based on the number of Virginia-licensed lawyers practicing from an office located within the commonwealth.

Nichols Zauzig is also a Tier One Best Law Firm in America and has been since 2010, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers. The firm qualifies in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice/Personal Injury and Family Law.

Located in Woodbridge, Virginia, Nichols Zauzig was founded in 1989 by Chuck Zauzig and Paul Nichols who have since earned some of the highest accolades in the practice of law. Other attorneys include: Partners Cassandra Chin, Melissa Ray, Claire Keena and Mike Hollingsworth; and Associates Melanie Rice, Andrew Taylor and Randell Scism.

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Attorney Cassandra Chin elected Vice President of National AAML

Maureen — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 03:30:17 +0000

We are excited to announce that Cassandra Chin, a partner with Nichols Zauzig, was elected one of the Vice Presidents of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) at the organization’s recent Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Ms. Chin has been on the AAML Executive Committee since 2018, having served most recently as Secretary, and prior to that time, as Membership Committee Chair.

After meeting the stringent membership criteria, Ms. Chin became one of the youngest fellows to be accepted into AAML in 2013. In 2014, she was elected as the Virginia representative to the National AAML.

Admission standards to become an AAML fellow are extensive and comprehensive and only 13.7% of all family lawyers in the U.S. are elected members, including 52 in Virginia.

To even begin the process, applicants must have a minimum of 10 years as a practicing attorney, with 75% of their practice being in the area of matrimonial law. The vetting process includes a written and oral exam, as well as detailed questionnaires to opposing counsel, sitting judges and every AAML fellow in the state of application. The applicant must also meet a certain number of hours of annual continuing legal education, and demonstrate substantial involvement and leadership in the field of matrimonial law. Each applicant must have substantial trial experience as lead counsel for complex matrimonial law litigation.

Ms. Chin joined Nichols Zauzig in 2001, the first job of her career. Early on, she became involved with local and state bar associations. Ultimately, she became the youngest person ever to serve on the Board of Governors for the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section, later becoming Chair.

Since 2019, Ms. Chin has also been a fellow with the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, consisting of the top 100 family law attorneys in the nation.

We are proud to celebrate Ms. Chin’s national leadership position and look forward to her next accomplishment!

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5 Nichols Zauzig Partners Named Best Lawyers® for 2023

Maureen — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 22:48:55 +0000

Congratulations to Chuck Zauzig, Paul F. Nichols, Cassandra M. Chin, Claire Keena and Melissa Ray for being selected by their peers to be included in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Also recognized in Family Law is Ms. Chin, who has been honored since 2020. Ms. Keena has been named to Best Lawyers for Personal Injury Litigation and Ms. Ray for Medical Malpractice Law.

According to the Best Lawyers 2023 magazine, 13 million peer evaluations were completed for nominated attorneys across the U.S and 75 other countries around the world in 148 practice areas. From that process, 129,518 attorneys in total were recognized, including 3,362 in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

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Nichols presented with Family Law Lifetime Achievement Award at 2022 Virginia Bar meeting

Maureen — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 17:00:10 +0000

Paul F. Nichols was honored last month with the Virginia State Bar Family Law Board of Governors Lifetime Achievement Award, which he earned in 2021, but the in-person presentation was delayed until this year’s ceremony due to the pandemic. One attorney is selected annually for this award at the discretion of the Board of Governors.

The Honorable Rossie Alston, Jr. presented the plaque award to Mr. Nichols at the Annual Family Law Seminar, held in person last month at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.

Mr. Nichols has practiced law for nearly 43 years with Nichols Zauzig, located in Woodbridge and Manassas. A fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Nichols has extensive litigation experience and helped create the family law section of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in the 1980s. He has been on the board of governors of the Family Law section of the Virginia State Bar and is a frequent lecturer and author on family topics.

Nichols has been a Commissioner in Chancery for the Circuit Court of Prince William County since 1985. He served in the Virginia General Assembly House of Delegates from 2008-2010, where he drafted and helped gain passage of several family laws in the Commonwealth.

A graduate of King’s College and George Mason University College of Law, Mr. Nichols has been the recipient of numerous peer awards including Best Lawyers in America, Washington DC and Virginia Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell’s preeminent AV rating. He devotes his charitable efforts to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Breast Cancer Awareness, among others.

Photos caption (left to right): The Honorable Rossie Alston, Jr. and Paul F. Nichols; Paul F. Nichols and his wife, Linda Nichols; Friends & family gathered at The Jefferson Hotel to honor Mr. Nichols’ achievement.

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Nichols Zauzig named 2019 U.S. News-Best Lawyers® Best Law Firm

Maureen — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 02:22:19 +0000

For the 9th consecutive year, Nichols Zauzig Sandler is honored to be ranked in Tier 1 of the 2019 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list.

Earning Tier 1 status is limited to just over half of the law firms ranked regionally. Nichols Zauzig Sandler has been among that select group for the Washington D.C. metropolitan region since the rankings were initiated in 2010.

Ranked law ﬁrms are presented in three tiers on a regional-based scale. Firms that received the top tier designation “reflect the highest level of respect a ﬁrm can earn among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity,” according to Best Lawyers®.

All firms included in the 2019 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a Top Tier ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

In addition, Charles J. Zauzig, Paul Nichols and Betty Moore Sandler were named to the 2019 The Best Lawyers in America listing, as they each have been since 2006. In addition, Mr. Zauzig was was named the single 2019 Lawyer of the Year for “Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs” for the Washington D.C. metro region.

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Nichols Zauzig Sandler partners named Super Lawyers for 12th year

Maureen — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 16:03:09 +0000

For the 12th consecutive year, Charles J. Zauzig, Paul F. Nichols and Betty Moore Sandler have been named Super Lawyers in Virginia. In addition, they have each been named a Virginia Top 100 Attorney in their respective areas of practice.

Cassandra Chin has been selected for the third consecutive year as a Super Lawyer, after four years as a Rising Star.

In addition, Ms. Sandler was named to the Top 50 Women Virginia Lawyers. This list includes women lawyers who ranked top of the list in the 2018 nomination and research process, regardless of practice area.

The four attorneys are among just 5% of Virginia attorneys selected as Super Lawyers each year, based on peer evaluations and independent evaluations.

Mr. Zauzig is named in the area of Personal Injury-Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff and the others are selected in the field of Family Law.

Please join us in congratulating them on continued professional achievement and peer recognition!

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Is a child’s age a factor in custody in Virginia?

Maureen — Fri, 18 May 2018 20:44:40 +0000

By: Paul F. Nichols, AAML, Partner with Nichols Zauzig Sandler, P.C.

In child custody cases, I am frequently asked whether or not the child’s age is a factor with a judge.

I’ve seen cases where judges place great weight on a 13-year-old child’s desire to live primarily with one parent over another. This is especially true when the child is an above-average student and well adjusted and provides legitimate reasons to support the preference.

The closer the child is to the magic age of 16, the more likely the judge will support his or her wishes. Any child 14 or older must be asked their preference. Keep in mind if the judge wants to hear from a child, it is usually done in the judges’ chambers, without the parties present.

This question of primary residence brings about some of the greatest disaccord in custody cases today, and a judge’s ruling on a child’s preference becomes more important than ever.

The crux is that statutory rule does not exist in this area. Each case lives or dies on its own facts. Having the counsel of an attorney experienced in complex child custody cases makes the difference in questions of this nature. Call my office, or use the contact us form on this page, and let me know your concerns.

DISCLAIMER: The results of every case depend on factors unique to that case, and NZS Law does not guarantee or predict results in any given case.

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