Douglas Christopher Fredrick

He definitely knows what he is doing and he fights for you. He is extremely tough and very knowledgeable. 8 yrs ago he helped me get custody of my kids - which took 3 years altogether. (My ex ended up hiring a total of 3 lawyers against my one by the time the 3 years was up) I hired him again 7 ye...ars later and once again he proved that I can count on him. I highly, highly recomend him. He is very upfront and honest.

When I started my divorce, I was initially recommended by my parents to see another "top" lawyer in town, and I was immensely dissatisfied with the service. Then a friend recommended Doug Fredrick, and I hired Doug as my attorney. Doug was amazingly more involved, I always felt that he was fighting... for me and for my rights with my kids. It was night and day difference between what service I got from Doug and from my previous lawyer. I highly recommend Doug!

Mr. Fredrick was a very good and helpful lawyer. My wife had filed for divorce and we had a seven month old son (our first). My ex tried to limit my time spent with my son. Since he was so young it was a difficult situation trying to find where my rights were and what was right for my son. The ca...se was made more complicated by my ex claiming my house was unsanitary and unsafe for my son. Mr. Fredrick recommended a guardian ad litem for our case to represent my sons best interests. This worked out great as she was able to investigate and see the claims were baseless. Mr. Fredrick was very quick to respond to emails. He made recommendations but I always felt that the decisions were ultimately mine to make which I liked. His paralegal Gabrirlle was also very friendly and helpful. Ended up settling without a trial (we want up to the last week before the trial before agreeing). I was very confident in our position and my lawyers ability to present our case had it went to trial and this led to a settlement I was very happy with.

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.

I hired Mr. Fredrick to represent me in a very complicated family law/divorce case. Initially, he seemed to care about my situation and he offered many thoughts and suggestions. Mr. Fredrick's concern and effort evaporated steadily with each of my checks he cashed. I was perpetually in the dark on wh...at was going on and what was being done. I repeatedly asked and pleaded for motions to be submitted and specific steps to be taken to stop my former spouse from ruining my relationship with my children and stripping me of my ability to be a father. 10 months later, not a single motion was made in my defense. Nothing was prepared for the trial. None of my witness were contacted in time to appear. None of my evidence was submitted in time to be used. Ultimately, I was forced to settle. The worst part was that Mr. Fredrick made me feel like the outcome was my fault. At my lowest point, I asked Mr. Fredrick why nothing was done, why nothing was prepared, and why there was no justice. He told me that he would still go to trial for me, but the judge's decision would probably be worse than the terms of the settlement. He followed with, "pick what hill you want to die on." At the start, I was sure that I had found a skilled attorney and an advocate who would represent me and the best interests of my children. Mr. Fredrick's statements and advice gave me a false sense of hope that justice existed in family court- Make no mistake about this- IT DOES NOT. Before I signed my name to the settlement, Mr. Fredrick revealed his true position: Justice doesn't exist in family law. The court is only there to conduct conflict resolution, if a little justice takes place- great, but that isn't the court's objective, he told me... I wish he had been so honest before I paid him so many thousands of dollars. In truth, I believe Mr. Fredrick is very smart and capable. However, if you are a father looking to retain any shred of what being a father means to you- then I would strongly advise you NOT to retain Mr. Fredrick. My case is a lost cause, but this review might save another from experiencing the disappointment and anguish that I experienced after retaining Mr. Fredrick. Simply Truth: If you are a father in need of an effective divorce attorney, DO NOT retain Mr. Fredrick.