Douglas Christopher Fredrick

Doug has been a fantastic lawyer for us. He is very knowledgeable in military and family law (we are Air Force). We found his down to earth and frank demeanor to be very comforting in what was a difficult and complex child custody case involving the abuse and neglect of my three teenage kids by the...ir mother and her boyfriend. I have never had the feeling he was interested in gouging us for money, which has happened to us before with another lawyer. He would often advise us as to potential costs pursuant to a decision or action, and provide counsel to help keep his billing costs to us down. I was very apprehensive about this case, the financial costs, and the ability to obtain primary physical custody of my kids from their mother. I was concerned of the emotional toll the proceedings would take on all of us. If I did not feel the change was vital for my kids’ well-being, I probably would have chickened out. I needed a good lawyer to walk us through it. On multiple occasions, when we were feeling distraught and hopeless, Doug’s professionalism and knowledge calmed our nerves and gave us the confidence to forge ahead and make decisions. He did a great job of drafting Motions,Affidavits, Parenting Plan, etc.. working with us to adjust the verbiage, and getting them into the court. We also found his decision-making and interaction with the judge and defensive counsel to be both astute and effective. What makes all of this more amazing is that we have never met Doug face-to-face. I saw his picture for the first time today. We started this case in Summer of 2015, from Germany and finished after moving to Virginia. The final judgment should be complete next week. He was very accommodating in helping us overcome the challenges of working from distance. Based upon our experience, I think it is a good assumption he is even better in person. I vehemently disagree with the May 2015 review which claims Doug was only interested in the paychecks and was not diligent with a case. What lawyer does not submit a single motion in 10 months? How is that possible? This must have been his evil twin, because we did not experience this. This sounds more like a disgruntled customer who was not diligent and did not have a case go his way. Two things a good customer should understand. (1) This is YOUR case…you need to put in the effort to collect and compile supporting evidence/documentation for your case. The more you are able to do, the less you pay and the more you lawyer is able to focus on the bigger things; (2) Doug is not going to lie, so if you are looking for a lawyer to fabricate a story or twist the truth…then you should go elsewhere; (3) Some lawyers are better than others…but they are not magic. They can’t make a good case materialize out of thin air. If you don’t have enough supporting evidence or a good case…then you don’t. If Doug doesn’t feel like you have a good case. I am pretty certain he would tell you. There is justice in the court system, but a good lawyer is an important step in obtaining it. In my opinion, Doug is A-grade! My kids are now with us in Virginia for good! Even if the outcome had not been favorable, my review of Doug would still remain the same.