John E. Byrnes

John E. Byrnes has been practicing exclusively in the area of family law since 1996. He practices in all of the northern Virginia circuit courts and juvenile and domestic relations district courts as well as the Virginia Court of Appeal. While most matters are amicably resolved thorough negotiation or mediation, John has extensive litigation experience. During his career, John’s practice has covered virtually every aspect of family law, from: complex equitable distribution matters involving business valuations and detailed tracing issues; forensic accounting considerations for determining a party’s income; intricate custody concerns dealing with non-parental rights, international legal considerations, and abuse claims; as well as unique family law issues such as litigating the validity of divorces obtained in foreign countries. Over his career, John has identified an array of talented expert witnesses to assist his clients on various issues. John also prepares marital settlement agreements and pre-marital agreements tailored to meet the client’s goals. John provides his clients with candid advice - be it favorable or unfavorable - and he explains the benefits and negatives that are associated with litigation, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution alternatives.

John graduated from the George Mason University School of Law, where he was selected to be in the Dean's Scholar Program and was also chosen to be the Lead Articles Editor for the George Mason University Independent Law Review. Since his completion of a one-year clerkship for the Honorable J. Howe Brown of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in August of 1996, John's law practice has concentrated solely on the area of family law and divorce.

John is currently on the 5th District Disciplinary Committee of the Virginia State Bar (Chairperson for 2012-13), the VSB Judicial Nominations Committee, and the Virginia State Bar Mid-Year Seminar Committee. He has also lectured for the Virginia CLE, attended the Bar Leadership Institute, was previously recognized by Legal Services of Northern Virginia for providing pro bono legal services, and is a past Chair of the Fairfax Bar Association's Membership Committee. Lastly, John is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the Fairfax Bar Association.