Teresa Cole has been practicing as a divorce attorney for more than fifteen years handling complex divorce cases and family law matters. Prior to starting her own firm, Ms. Cole was a Partner for many years at Maddox, Cole, Miller & Maddox, P.C. Based on her experience and proven track record, she has been appointed as a Neutral Case Evaluator for the 19th Judicial Circuit to evaluate cases and provide non-binding arbitration services for other divorce attorneys. In addition, Ms. Cole was appointed to the Divorce and Family Law Attorney Resource Panel as an advisor to state legislators in Virginia on family law issues. Ms. Cole handles International custody and parental kidnapping cases. In 2008 and 2009, Ms. Cole attended International Family Law seminars at conferences in San Diego, CA and San Antonio, TX developed by the U.S. Chapter of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Ms. Cole is an Alexandria, Virginia native, having graduated from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and the University of Virginia. She received her law degree from U.C. Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. After practicing for a short period of time in California, Ms. Cole was recruited by the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C. to develop training materials and seminars to educate judges and lawyers about new domestic violence and parental kidnapping laws. For several years following her association with the ABA, Ms. Cole served as Treasurer and Board Member for Services to Abused Families, Inc. (SAFE) and used her expertise in domestic violence laws to train local police departments and to help develop police protocol for when to make an arrest in a domestic violence case. Ms. Cole also mediated cases as a certified mediator in the Supreme Court of Virginia’s court-referral mediation program in Loudoun and Prince William Counties.

Ms. Cole is married to a former Marine and often handles divorce cases involving government or military personnel and retirement benefits, including advising and representing personnel on overseas assignments. She has mastered successful navigation of the applicable federal regulations in such cases and has a keen understanding of the complicated jurisdictional issues which sometimes arise in such cases. Cases involving alternative family arrangements are another area where Ms. Cole has gained significant experience over the years. In addition, Ms. Cole has had a lot of experience with divorce and custody cases involving Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the special needs of a child. One of Ms. Cole’s four children has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and she has first-hand experience with many of the Fairfax County programs and issues involving special needs children which can sometimes play a significant role in determining custody.

Ms. Cole continues to be very active in her local bar association and presently serves as a representative of the domestic relations bar on the Fairfax County Circuit Court Committee, comprised of judges, lawyers and court clerks.

Bar Admissions:
- California, 1994 (inactive)
- Virginia, 1995
- District of Columbia, 1996

Education:
J.D., Hastings College of Law, San Francisco, California 1993
B.A., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 1990

Teresa S. Cole
Teresa Cole has been a practicing divorce attorney for more than fifteen years, handling complex divorce cases and family law matters.
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