Christine Castro

Christine Castro

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Biography
Christine Castro’s practice in family law is shaped by her passion and ability to meet people where they are and assist them through some of the most challenging times and transitions in their lives. Ms. Castro has skillfully represented her clients through a wide range of family law matters involving divorce, contentious custody and timesharing disputes, complex equitable distribution at all economic strata, including high net-worth individuals, child and spousal support,
modifications, and enforcement matters.

Ms. Castro approaches each case with compassion and zealous advocacy aimed to achieve the best outcome possible considering the unique circumstances and dynamics of each family situation. Ms. Castro values and encourages a collaborative approach in cases involving children. Having personal knowledge of the trauma experienced by children in high conflict divorce proceedings, and the long-term effects on co-parenting and child-parent relationships, Ms. Castro generally believes that reaching an agreement in such cases gives the parties the best opportunity to transition their lives in a healthy manner, preserve positive parent-child relationships, and cultivate an environment that promotes cooperative coparenting. Ms. Castro believes that when emotions are heightened as they typically are in family law cases, the last thing the family needs is an attorney to add fuel to the flames. However, the collaborative approach is not appropriate in every case. Every family is different, and therefore, every case is different. Whether her client’s goal is an amicable resolution, or the case must proceed to trial, Ms. Castro’s negotiation prowess and legal acumen make her a fierce advocate.

Ms. Castro brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her practice of family law, garnered from her years of work, first in real estate financing, then in the federal government in support of U.S. foreign policy, national security and diplomacy on multiple continents, while raising two children as a former military spouse. Her multi-cultural, federal service, and diplomat experience gives her a particular understanding of the unique challenges facing military and foreign service families here and abroad.

Ms. Castro also brings to her practice specialized knowledge and experience of the intersection of domestic relations and mental health challenges. Her study in psychopathology and maladaptive behaviors at the Master’s-level, combined with years of experience assisting others with a wide range of behavioral and mental health challenges, allows her to bring a particular sensibility and understanding to cases involving mental health issues, and she has handled numerous cases requiring psychological and/or custody evaluations.

Ms. Castro’s compassion for people extends to her pro bono activities as an attorney in post- conviction relief matters with the Ohio Justice and Policy Center and its de-carceration project, Beyond Guilt, where her brief successfully resulted in a rare reversal of a conviction of an incarcerated woman. She has also volunteered her time assisting formerly incarcerated individuals with their reentry into society.

Prior to focusing her career in family law, Ms. Castro served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Richard E. Gardiner and the Honorable Randy I. Bellows at the Fairfax Circuit Court of Virginia. During her clerkship, she reviewed hundreds of divorce and support cases involving spousal and/or child support, child custody, complex property division and marital/property settlement agreements, and she wrote and edited multiple judicial opinions.

Ms. Castro graduated magna cum laude from Hawaii Pacific University with a B.A. in Business Administration. She received her J.D., with cum laude honors, along with a certificate in Human Rights and Global Justice Studies, from Florida A&M College of Law. Christine was admitted to practice law by the District of Columbia Bar in 2016 and to Virginia State Bar in 2022.

Christine is a member of the Family Law Section of the District of Columbia Bar; the Fairfax Bar Association Family Law Section, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), the Virginia Collaborative Professionals (VaCP), Virginia Trial Lawyers Associations (VTLA) and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).