Shawna L. Stevens PLLC is looking for an associate attorney who wants to build a meaningful career in Virginia family law while working directly with an experienced lead attorney. Shawna L. Stevens will remain the sole lead attorney, personally responsible for the quality of every matter and involved in reviewing everything. The associate will join as a closely supervised collaborator, with direct mentorship, meaningful responsibility, and the opportunity to learn how a focused Fredericksburg family law practice serves real people during difficult transitions.
What is Shawna L. Stevens PLLC looking for?
Shawna is looking for an associate attorney who cares about people, communicates plainly, works carefully, and wants to learn Virginia family law in depth. The associate will work closely with Shawna, receive direct guidance, and contribute to matters involving divorce, custody, support, property division, adoption, agreements, and military family law. Shawna remains the lead attorney and reviews every matter.
Why Shawna is looking for an associate attorney
For more than 20 years, Shawna L. Stevens has focused her practice on Virginia family law. That experience has brought a steady flow of families from Fredericksburg and surrounding communities to her office for help with divorce, custody, child support, spousal support, property division, adoption, and related matters.
The practice is growing because families continue to need careful, personal legal guidance. Some cases are straightforward. Others involve disputed parenting plans, financial questions, military benefits, complex property, or urgent court concerns. Each matter deserves attention to detail, clear communication, and a strategy shaped around the people involved.
Shawna is ready to make room for another attorney because the demand has increased and because mentoring the next generation of Virginia family lawyers matters to her. Adding an associate is not a change in the values that have guided the practice. It is a thoughtful way to extend those values while preserving the attorney-led experience that clients expect.
Families throughout the Fredericksburg region, from Stafford and Spotsylvania to King George, Caroline, Orange, and Westmoreland, have relied on Shawna L. Stevens PLLC for over 20 years.
The right associate will not be placed in a separate corner and expected to figure everything out alone. The position is designed around close collaboration with Shawna. She will remain the attorney responsible for reviewing the work, shaping case strategy, communicating with clients, and making final decisions about representation.
That structure is important. It means an associate can take on real responsibility while still having access to an experienced attorney who knows the local courts, understands the emotional weight of family law, and takes quality seriously.
What life inside the practice can look like
A family law practice is not always dramatic in the way television suggests. Much of the work involves careful reading, thoughtful writing, detailed preparation, and conversations that help clients understand what is happening next.
At 307 Lafayette Boulevard, Suite 200, in Fredericksburg, the work may begin with coffee and a review of the day’s court schedule. It may include drafting a motion, researching a question of Virginia law, preparing discovery, reviewing a proposed agreement, or discussing how a custody issue affects a child’s routine.
The office is close to the Fredericksburg Circuit Court at 815 Princess Anne Street. Court runs may involve a quick change of plans, a last-minute document review, or an unexpected question that requires calm attention. Family law is full of those moments. A good attorney learns to stay organized without losing sight of the person behind the file.
The office atmosphere is warm and personal rather than formal or impersonal. There may be a carefully arranged notebook on the desk, a plant in the corner, and a welcoming space for serious conversations. The work itself is serious, but the environment does not need to feel cold.
There are also occasional surprises. A hearing may take longer than expected. A client may raise an important concern that changes the focus of a meeting. A new fact may require a fresh look at the legal strategy. Those moments are part of why family law rewards attorneys who can listen closely, think carefully, and respond without losing their balance.
An associate should enjoy both sides of the work. The position requires careful legal analysis, but it also requires comfort with people. Clients may be worried, frustrated, embarrassed, or unsure what to ask. Plain explanations and respectful communication are not extras in this practice. They are part of the legal work.
What the right attorney will bring to the practice
The right candidate will care about family law as a service profession. Technical ability matters, but so do patience, judgment, preparation, and the ability to explain complicated issues without making clients feel dismissed.
A strong fit will likely be someone who:
- Treats clients and opposing counsel with professionalism
- Communicates clearly and follows through on commitments
- Understands that small details can affect a family law matter
- Enjoys legal research and careful drafting
- Wants to learn Virginia family law deeply rather than treating it as one practice area among many
- Can receive feedback and apply it
- Understands the importance of confidentiality, deadlines, and accurate records
- Remains calm when a matter becomes emotionally difficult
- Appreciates the value of local court knowledge
- Wants direct mentorship from an attorney with more than 20 years of focused experience
The position may appeal to an attorney who has recently entered practice and wants a strong foundation in family law. It may also suit an attorney with related experience who wants to move into a more focused Virginia family law practice.
The most important question is not whether a candidate already knows everything. No new associate should be expected to know everything. The more important questions are whether the attorney is curious, dependable, thoughtful, and genuinely interested in learning how to serve families well.
The work will cover the full range of family law
The associate will have the opportunity to learn across the practice rather than seeing only one narrow type of matter.
That may include:
Divorce and separation
Divorce work can involve uncontested matters, contested litigation, separation agreements, property division, spousal support, and custody issues. A case that begins as a simple divorce may develop additional questions as financial or parenting concerns come into focus.
An associate will learn how the facts of a marriage connect to Virginia law and how careful preparation can help clients understand their choices. The practice handles both practical settlement discussions and more contested matters that require firm courtroom preparation.
Child custody and visitation
Custody matters require attention to the child’s daily life, the parents’ concerns, school and medical issues, schedules, communication, and the legal standards applied by Virginia courts.
The work requires more than filling in a parenting-plan template. It requires listening to the family, identifying the real points of disagreement, and preparing carefully under Shawna’s guidance.
Child support and spousal support
Support matters involve financial information, legal standards, documentation, and close attention to changing circumstances. An associate may assist with reviewing records, preparing calculations, researching legal issues, and drafting documents for Shawna’s review.
The goal is not to reduce a family to a number on a worksheet. The goal is to understand the legal and financial context and present the relevant information clearly.
Property division
Property division can involve homes, retirement accounts, debts, vehicles, financial records, and questions about marital and separate property. The work rewards attorneys who enjoy organizing information and identifying the details that matter.
A careful associate may help trace documents, prepare summaries, research Virginia law, and assist with negotiation or litigation preparation.
Adoption and family agreements
Adoption matters bring a different kind of focus to the practice. They may involve stepparent adoption, second-parent adoption, private adoption, or other family circumstances that require accurate documents and careful attention to court requirements.
The practice also handles prenuptial, postnuptial, and separation agreements. These matters require clear drafting and an understanding of how an agreement may affect a family later.
Military family law
Families connected to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Fort Belvoir, and other military communities may face issues involving deployment, retirement benefits, schedules, federal protections, or relocation.
Military family law requires careful research and an appreciation for how federal and state rules may overlap. An associate will learn under Shawna’s supervision rather than being expected to independently handle unfamiliar issues.
What the associate experience will look like
This position is designed to provide real exposure to legal practice with real oversight.
An associate may participate in:
- Client meetings and follow-up communication
- Legal research involving Virginia family law
- Drafting pleadings, motions, agreements, correspondence, and discovery
- Reviewing financial and case records
- Preparing hearing materials
- Court appearances under Shawna’s guidance
- Settlement preparation and negotiation support
- Case planning and deadline tracking
- Post-hearing follow-up and document review
Shawna will review the associate’s work. That review is not a formality. It is central to the structure of the position.
A new attorney can learn a great deal by seeing how an experienced family law attorney evaluates facts, prioritizes issues, prepares a client for court, and decides when a practical solution is appropriate. The associate will have the chance to ask questions, receive feedback, and observe how a case develops from the first client conversation through resolution.
This is not a position for someone looking for distance from the lead attorney. It is for someone who wants to learn through proximity, discussion, revision, and direct observation.
It is also not a position where the associate will simply watch from the sidelines. The associate will have meaningful assignments and direct client contact, with Shawna maintaining oversight of the work and responsibility for the quality of every matter.
Why practice family law in Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg offers the advantages of a connected legal community, local court experience, and a broad range of family circumstances. The region includes established neighborhoods, growing communities, military families, rural areas, and families whose lives connect across several Virginia counties.
An attorney may work on a Fredericksburg case one day, assist with a matter involving Stafford or Spotsylvania the next day, and learn about the distinct practical considerations that can arise in King George, Caroline, Orange, or Westmoreland.
The region also offers a strong sense of place outside the courthouse. Historic streets, local restaurants, small businesses, parks, and nearby communities create a setting where professional relationships can develop over time. Family law is local in an important way. Clients are not abstract legal problems. They are people who live, work, raise children, and make difficult decisions in the same communities where their cases are filed.
For an attorney researching fredericksburg family law attorney jobs, this opportunity offers a chance to build a career in a focused practice with direct mentorship. For someone searching for a family law attorney Fredericksburg VA opportunity, it offers close contact with the lead attorney rather than layers of distance. The work is also a natural fit for an attorney interested in the legal issues commonly handled by a divorce attorney Fredericksburg VA practice, including custody, support, property, and agreements.
A practice built around personal responsibility
Shawna’s name is on the door, and her responsibility does not stop when another attorney contributes to a matter.
That is the central promise of this opportunity. The associate will have room to grow, but clients will continue to receive the attorney-led attention that has defined Shawna L. Stevens PLLC from the beginning.
Shawna L. Stevens, VSB No. 65992, has practiced Virginia family law for more than 20 years. Attorneys who want to learn more about Virginia licensing and professional regulation can visit the Virginia State Bar.
The associate will work within a practice where care, preparation, and communication are treated as essential. The work may be challenging, but it can also be deeply meaningful. Family law attorneys have the opportunity to help clients understand their choices, prepare for important decisions, and move through a difficult chapter with greater clarity.
That kind of work calls for both legal skill and emotional steadiness.
Interested in the associate opportunity?
Attorneys who believe this kind of closely mentored family law practice may be a good fit can call (540) 310-4088 or use the contact page to express interest. Shawna welcomes a thoughtful conversation about the position, the practice, and the kind of attorney who would thrive in Fredericksburg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shawna still the attorney who reviews everything?
Yes, Shawna remains the lead attorney and reviews every matter. She remains personally responsible for the quality of the legal work, case strategy, client communication, and representation provided through Shawna L. Stevens PLLC.
What kind of attorney is Shawna looking for?
Shawna is looking for an associate attorney who cares about people, communicates plainly, works carefully, and wants to learn Virginia family law deeply. Reliability, curiosity, judgment, and a willingness to receive feedback are important qualities.
Does the associate work alone?
No, the associate works closely with Shawna under her direct oversight. The associate will receive meaningful assignments and direct client exposure, but Shawna remains involved in reviewing the work and guiding the matter.
What areas of law will the associate practice?
The associate will work in Virginia family law, including divorce, custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, property division, adoption, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, separation agreements, and military family matters.
Will the associate have direct client contact?
Yes, the associate will have direct client contact under Shawna’s guidance. Client meetings, follow-up communication, document review, and preparation are all potential parts of the experience.
Will the associate go to court?
Yes, the associate may receive courtroom exposure under Shawna’s guidance. Court preparation and appearances will depend on the needs of the matter, the associate’s experience, and Shawna’s review.
Where is the office located?
The office is located at 307 Lafayette Boulevard, Suite 200, Fredericksburg, VA 22401, near the Fredericksburg Circuit Court at 815 Princess Anne Street.
Does Shawna L. Stevens PLLC serve areas outside Fredericksburg?
Yes, Shawna L. Stevens PLLC serves Fredericksburg and surrounding Virginia communities, including Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, Caroline, Orange, and Westmoreland.
How does someone express interest in the position?
Interested attorneys can call (540) 310-4088 or use the contact page. A brief introduction about the attorney’s background, interest in family law, and connection to the Fredericksburg area can help begin the conversation.
A meaningful next step for the right attorney
Growing a practice does not mean moving away from the values that made it personal in the first place. For Shawna, bringing on an associate means creating space to serve families well while sharing the knowledge developed through more than two decades of focused Virginia family law practice.
The right attorney will not be asked to replace Shawna. The right attorney will learn from her, work alongside her, contribute meaningfully to client matters, and grow within a practice where quality remains personal.
Attorneys who are drawn to careful legal work, honest communication, local community, and direct mentorship are invited to call (540) 310-4088 or visit the contact page to express interest. Individuals seeking a confidential consultation about a family law matter can also contact Shawna L. Stevens PLLC at the same number.
Shawna L. Stevens PLLC
307 Lafayette Boulevard, Suite 200
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 310-4088