Dawn Bonham DeBoer, Attorney

From her twenty plus years' experience in family law, Dawn DeBoer knows that sometimes you can win the battle and still lose the war.  That's why, in handling divorce, custody, and child support cases, she works hard to assure the future well-being of the whole person and the whole family.

I determine each client's specific goals and advocate very strongly for my client's needs and best interest, says Dawn.  But at the same time I attempt to be creative and solve issues amicably, keeping in mind that, when children are involved, the parents are still going to be in each other's life.

Though at other times, it is necessary to stand and fight.  Dawn's creativity helped one recent client win a share of her husband's professional partnership in a hotly contested divorce settlement after other lawyers said it could not be done.  We issues subpoenas and worked with a good accountant to value the husband's law partnership, says Dawn.  In the end we divided the value of the business, received significant spousal support and made a major change in the divorce law.

She is particularly skilled in handling not only partnership valuations but also business valuations and large, complicated estates.  Although, when necessary, Dawn can go to court and deftly argue for her client's welfare, that is never her first choice.  It is costly going to court, both financially and emotionally, she says.  A lawyer has an obligation to find a good resolution without litigation.  So I work with opposing lawyers to obtain a result that addresses what is important for my client and my client's child.  It is not beneficial to constantly be at odds.

I want to make sure my client is successful and can live with the results, and make sure my client has the resources to move forward after the divorce.  But providing those resources goes beyond simply working out finances.  We also see relationship issues with the spouse or children that need attention and often refer clients to counselors to make the situation better, says Dawn.  There' is a lot of counseling and hand-holding involved.

Dawn's empathy and understanding compliments her top legal skills to make a client comfortable with her both professionally and personally.  Part of that comfort comes from her understanding of the financial pressures her clients are feeling.

I am very conscious of costs, she says.  I know the funds are coming directly out of people's pockets, not corporate coffers.  So I try to have my staff do the legwork and drafting and not add to the client's anxieties.

Ms. DeBoer received her J.D. from T. C. Williams School of Law in 1986, and her B.A. from James Madison University in 1983.  Upon law school graduation, Ms. DeBoer served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Henrico County Circuit Court.