Colleen M. Haddow

I hired Colleen the day after what was probably the worst day of my life--a mediation with a retired Fairfax County judge who, to my shock, quickly took my wife's side without even bothering to hear all of my side of the story and proposed settlement terms that were even worse than what my soon-to-be...-fired lawyer had told me would be the worst-case outcome. The next day I fired that lawyer and hired Colleen. It was like going from flying coach on Aeroflot to flying first class on Lufthansa (but for coach prices!). From the day Colleen took over my case, things only got better for me. One year later, everything was finished (no trial) and the settlement I got was superb. Colleen is a fantastic divorce lawyer for many reasons. Her legal skills are outstanding. Moreover, she understands that people in the midst of a divorce are going through an extremely difficult experience emotionally, and so she knows that a big part of her job is not just writing pleadings and arguing motions but preventing clients from panicking or growing despondent. Her "bedside manner" is pitch-perfect. Another key asset of Colleen's is that she is very familiar with all the Fairfax County judges--she knows what they like, and they know that she is a trustworthy practitioner. My ex-wife's lawyer was based in DC and didn't know a lot of the Fairfax County judges; during the one contested hearing that took place, my ex-wife's lawyer annoyed the judge by behaving in a way that Colleen, who had been before this judge many times, knew not to act. Needless to say, Colleen was the victor that day. I strongly recommend Colleen to anyone who needs a divorce lawyer.