Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Support
  Matters of child support and spousal support significantly impact your family's future, regardless of whether you are the one paying or receiving support. At Locke & Lyden, PLLC, we understand the importance of maintaining your lifestyle and providing for the future of you and your children. Bill Lyden will help guide you through the complicated process used to determine child support and/or spousal support, and help you navigate through the judicial process.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Establishing a beneficial child custody and visitation arrangement is necessary for the well-being of your children regardless of how you find yourself in your present situation. Locke & Lyden, PLLC represents mothers and fathers in custody and visitation matters in jurisdictions throughout Northern Virginia. Mr. Lyden can assist you with every aspect of the child custody arrangement, including...
• Adoption
• Guardianship
  Mr. Lyden graduated cum laude from The College of William & Mary in 1992 and Marshall Wythe School of Law of The College of William and Mary in 1995. He was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1995 and the District of Columbia Bar in 1997. Mr. Lyden has been a member of the Fairfax Bar Association since entering his practice. Mr. Lyden concentrates his practice in the areas of divorce, custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, guardianship, conservatorship, estate planning and general civil litigation.
• Spousal Support
  A husband and wife considering separation and/or divorce may resolve some or all of the issues between them by agreement. Issues not resolved may be submitted to a court for ruling. When minor children are involved, typically courts determine custody and visitation first. Once those issues have been determined, the court ascertains the nature, character and value of the parties' property and applies the equitable distribution model to determine how to divide or allocate marital property. Thereafter, the court determines the issues of spousal support, child support and attorney fees as applicable.
• Child Abuse
  Call if you or someone you know is facing a criminal matter: Burglary, Trespassing, Breaking and Entering, Larceny, Theft, Shoplifting, Concealment, Embezzlement, Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, Identity Theft, Forgery, False Pretenses, Assault, Malicious Wounding, Domestic Assault, Robbery, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Underage Possession of Alcohol, and all forms of juvenile criminal defense.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Mark C. Locke has represented the residents and travelers in courts throughout the Northern Virginia region for over 15 years. He offers free, no-hassle initial consultations for persons charged with criminal offenses.
• DUI/DWI
  Reckless Driving, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) & Traffic Ticket Defense It is important to have an experienced traffic attorney representing you through the court process who understands the traffic laws and the defenses when you are charged with Reckless Driving, Driving Under the Influence (DUI, also known as driving while intoxicated, DWI), Driving on a Suspended License, or any of the myriad moving violations in Virginia.
• Traffic Violations
  If you are charged with any moving violation in Virginia, you should consider hiring an attorney to represent you through the system. Mark C. Locke has zealously represented clients with speeding tickets, moving violations, accident cases, DUIs and virtually all other moving violations for over 15 years.
• Fraud
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Theft
• Misdemeanors
  Often, people are not aware of the significant penalties associated with a Reckless Driving conviction in Virginia. The legislature in Virginia has made the various offenses constituting Reckless Driving a Class One misdemeanor, which is punishable up to one year in jail and/or loss of driving privilege. A conviction for Reckless Driving, even when no jail time is imposed or loss of license occurs, still constitutes a Class One misdemeanor conviction. Other Class One misdemeanors include, but are not limited to Trespassing, Possession of Marijuana, Assault and Battery, and Driving Under the Influence.
• Embezzlement
• Drug Crimes
• Assault
• Identity Theft
• Shoplifting
• Forgery

Property Law

• Real Estate Transactions
  One of the most common questions I am asked with regard to real estate transactions, “Do I need an attorney at closing?” Given the size of the transaction, most likely the single largest financial transaction of your lifetime, the answer seems relatively simple, "yes".

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  The purpose of the initial estate planning session is to discuss necessary arrangements to cover many different situations. From a relationship outside of the legal definition of marriage, to a marriage between individuals with different estate sizes or children from different relationships, we can help. We can address situations where a child has poor spending habits, substance abuse problems, or is otherwise completely responsible but too young to manage the funds in their own name. We can deal with special situations, such a individuals with disabilities or the issues surrounding the disinheriting of an heir. Call us today to begin navigating through the estate planning process.
• Trusts
  (703) 359-8020 - Call Locke & Lyden, PLLC and make an appointment to discuss your situation, either as an individual or as a couple, and whether a Will or a Revocable Living Trust best suits your family situation.