About The Moore Law Firm

The Moore Law Firm PLLC is constantly evolving and striving to maintain itself as a leading divorce and family law firm in Virginia.

What do we do?

Where do we practice?

How are we different?

What types of divorce and family cases do we handle?

What is our law firm’s philosophy?

What do we do?

Our law firm focuses exclusively on guiding and protecting families facing divorce or closely related  family law issues such as child custody and support matters. We strive to provide unparalleled service and personal attention while maintaining a commitment to the highest standards of the legal profession.

Where do we practice?

Our divorce and family lawyers are ready to represent clients anywhere in Virginia. We regularly appear in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts and Circuit Courts in Lynchburg, Roanoke,Charlottesville, Forest, Farmville, and Rustburg as well as surrounding areas including the counties of Bedford, Amherst, Campbell, Appomattox, Nelson, Roanoke, Albemarle, Prince Edward, and Buckingham, to name just a few. However, our experience with divorce matters includes cases ranging from Richmond to Fairfax as well.

Brian R. Moore also represents clients who wish to appeal a divorce or family case to the  Virginia Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Virginia.

How are we different?

We pride ourselves on taking the practice of divorce and family law to the next level by leveraging modern technology, advanced advocacy techniques, and common sense. We strive to maintain a dynamic, and innovative practice environment with an unparalleled commitment to professionalism, creative problem solving, and aggressive litigation in order to achieve clients’ goals.

Technology is deployed to reduce costs, promote attorney-client communication, hasten information delivery, provide information security, and provide clients with ready access to matter documents.

We collaborate with leading experts and professionals from a variety of fields, including forensic accountants, financial advisers, medical and psychological professionals as well as other specialized attorneys, to develop the best possible case, negotiate from a position of strength and, when necessary, to litigate with calculated aggression.

Our prime directive is to deliver the high-value as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible without sacrificing attention to detail or effective legal advocacy.  To this end, the firm uses a variety of tools and techniques including but not limited to:

• Electronic case file management to ensure file and information security
• Secure, cloud based document management to promote client access to documents and facilitate file retention.
• A Clio client portal to serve to provide secure, encrypted attorney-client messaging
• Videoconferencing options for clients who would like to reduce the inconvenience of office visits.
• A project management approach to case management to inform and educate clients about the legal processes and stages of representation.
• An ongoing commitment to following and incorporating into our practice cutting edge research in advocacy, psychology, and applied sciences.

What types of divorce and family law cases do we handle?

There is no divorce that we cannot handle. We offer flat fees for simple uncontested divorces. We take on complex divorces involving high net worth individuals, multi-business marital estates, and everything in between. Our experience includes cases involving family-owned businesses, medical and dental practices,divorcing lawyers, doctors, accountants, royalties, family gifts, and unique property disputes ranging from livestock to deferred stock options. The list goes on.  As a result, we are prepared to serve clients across the complete spectrum of needs whether the goal is quick settlement of a modest marital estate to complex litigation involving marital assets valued in tens of millions or greater.

Complex, high net worth divorce:

Complex or high-net worth divorces require special care and attention from an experienced divorce attorney. Not only is it vitally important for the attorney to understand all of the legal nuances that may be in play, he or she must also know when to bring in additional professional help.

When a divorce involves complex issues or significant assets it is not unusual for the lawyer to consult with and employ expert witnesses. Experts are invaluable when there is a need to address those types of issues in litigation or negotiation. Our firm works with respected and experienced experts including forensic accountants, CPAs, financial planners, appraisers, tax specialists, counselors, psychologists, and medical doctors.

Some of the issues that often require expert witnesses include: classification and valuation of separate, marital, and hybrid property; discovering and tracing hidden assets; addressing income issues for determination of alimony or spousal support, and evidence regarding medical or psychiatric conditions affecting the parties.

When the stakes are high, the right experts are integral to case development and assessment. They also provide the most compelling and persuasive testimonial evidence possible if litigation becomes necessary. The same reasoning applies when considering the importance of working with an experienced divorce lawyer if you are facing a complex or high-net worth divorce.

If your case requires expert testimony or consultation with an expert then the option will be discussed thoroughly so that you may consider all the potential costs and benefits before you make the decision whether to proceed with hiring an expert. Frequently, the value of an expert directly correlates with the amount at stake in the case. The costs of expert witnesses often serve as the catalyst for productive settlement negotiations.

Uncontested Divorce:

Simple, uncontested divorces are usually handled on a flat fee basis. As a divorce lawyer, Brian’s goal is to help client’s achieve the desired end in the most cost-effective manner possible. If there are limited assets and/or minimal disputes over property and debts then a simple divorce may be had for a flat fee plus additional time at an hourly rate to hammer out the details of a settlement agreement negotiated between the parties. Partly due to his background as a trained mediator and collaborative practitioner, Brian frequently encourages clients to work out a settlement “over the table” with their spouses to avoid the hourly rates a divorce lawyer would charge to do the same work for them. If the parties can put together a pen and paper version of their agreement then a divorce lawyer can prepare a formal agreement for them to sign. This results in huge costs savings but provides the confidence and security of a final agreement drafted and reviewed by an experienced divorce lawyer.

“Everything in between” divorce:

The most common type of divorce is somewhere in between the uncontested divorce and the complex/high asset divorce. In these cases there are a mix of assets and liabilities. The parties’ incomes are usually discernible from a few tax returns and W-2 statements. The assets are subject to simple appraisals and the debts are found on credit card and mortgage statements.  Frequently, the parties are able to agree on some things but not everything. As a divorce lawyer who is committed to delivering value to his clients, Brian works with his clients to develop fair and reasonable settlement proposals taking into consideration the costs of litigation and the range of probable outcomes.  This risk-benefit analysis often leads to productive settlement negotiations. Brian also urges clients to consider collaboration, mediation, or attorney settlement conferences whenever possible. Litigation should only be an option if the opposing party refuses to be reasonable.

When litigation is necessary, you will not find a more zealous or committed divorce lawyer. It is this willingness to go to trial that motivates opposing parties to be reasonable. Brian’s experience litigating divorce cases gives him the ability to evaluate cases with clients and to judge what is and is not a reasonable settlement offer. Although the outcome of a case can never be predicted, when your opponent knows you spend a lot of time trying divorce cases they are more likely to seriously consider your offers of settlement. Brian uses this fact to help clients in “everything in between” divorces to attain positive results and save money in the process.

Moore Law Firm Philosophy

When Brian launched The Moore Law Firm PLLC, he wanted to use this website to share a bit about why he loves the practice of law and why it is so important to him. He desired for readers and clients to understand more about his profession and his approach to it. What follows is a “short version” of Brian’s thoughts on the subject.

Attorney – Counselor – Advocate

These 3 words are the cornerstones for The Moore Law Firm’s philosophy. Each identifies a distinct role and ideal every legal practitioner should aspire to. The mortar holding these ideas together is a commitment to integrity and professionalism, without which the practice of law means nothing.

“Attorney”

“Attorney” is the first level of commitment necessary to attain the ideal. An attorney commits to seeking mastery of the law in his or her chosen area of practice. This is accomplished through study of past and current case law to stay abreast of trends and new developments in the law. An attorney also strives to deepen and broaden his understanding of the law as a whole. Knowledge of the evolution of our laws and their role in the broad context of society helps the attorney better understand his own area of practice and its relationship to everyday life. Only through this commitment to lifelong learning is it possible to fulfill the role of “Counselor at Law”.

“Counselor at Law”

“Counselor at Law” is the second key to our law firm philosophy. The “Counselor” counsels by applying the “Attorney’s” knowledge toward solving real world problems and giving valuable insights and advice. To accomplish this, careful listening, empathy, and compassion must be employed together with a commitment to giving candid, honest advice. The counselor seeks understanding of clients’ needs, goals, and aspirations so that they may be evaluated in the context of what the law may and may not be able to provide. The final step is to identify and evaluate legal options with clients in order to define the objectives of legal representation.

Once the objectives of the representation are decided, it is time to take action. At this point, the role of the “Advocate” emerges.

“Advocate”

The legal advocate develops and implements strategies designed to accomplish clients’ goals through the arts of persuasion and negotiation. An advocate is zealous and determined. He or she utilizes experience, passion, psychology, rhetoric, calculated aggression, and a host of other tools and devices to obtain results aligned with clients’ objectives. The legal advocate is both a scientist and an artist. Advocacy is the highest form of art, though, when it comes to practicing law.