Katharine Maddox

Katharine W. Maddox
With over 25 years of experience in family law, Katharine is well versed in both negotiation and complex litigation; however her practice today is centered on helping clients resolve their cases outside of litigation. A Virginia Supreme Court certified mediator, Katharine regularly mediates cases as well as handles collaborative law cases, and is a strong advocate for alternative dispute resolution. She believes that in family law matters, parties are best served by reaching their own settlement rather than having a judge decide some of the most important, personal decisions a spouse and/or parent will face. Her approach centers on empowering clients to shape their own outcomes, with dignity and control, rather than ceding those decisions to a judge.
Katharine works as part of a team with her clients to reach the best outcome possible in a respectful, professional, and constructive manner. This holds true whether a matter involves complex assets, business valuations, custody of children, determination of financial support, or any of the myriad issues that arise in a separation or divorce.
Leadership in the Family Law Community
Katharine is a longtime Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), a worldwide association of practicing lawyers recognized by their peers as the most experienced and skilled family law specialists in their respective countries for handling international matters. She recently completed her term as President of the IAFL’s USA Chapter (September 2025 – September 2026). Her international work has ranged from complex jurisdictional questions and serving as an expert on the application of Virginia law in foreign jurisdictions, to custody and financial disputes between Virginia and other countries.
She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), an elected professional membership association of the most trusted leaders in family law in the United States.
Recognition
Katharine is recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Family Law, including in the area of Family Law Mediation. She is regularly included in Washingtonian’s list of best family law attorneys, and has been named a Super Lawyer in the Virginia edition since 2013, including selection to the Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers list (2025–2026) and the Top 50 Women Virginia Super Lawyers list for five consecutive years (2022–2026). She has also regularly been named a Top Lawyer in family law by Northern Virginia Magazine, one of the “Legal Elite” in family law by Virginia Business Magazine, and one of the 500 Leading Family Lawyers in the United States by Law Dragon.
Katharine has also been consistently recognized by Doyle’s Guide, an international independent peer-review ranking that cannot be purchased, as one of just 14 attorneys named each year — in both 2025 and 2026 — to its Leading Family, Matrimonial & Divorce Lawyers list for the Washington, D.C. area, and one of only 14 attorneys named to its Leading High Net Worth Family Lawyers list for the same market in each of those years. She holds the top rating possible, “Superb, 10 out of 10,” from the AVVO ratings website.
Katharine’s work has also drawn national press attention, including a 2013 feature in the National Law Journal (“Divorce Lawyers Without Borders”) and a 2014 Father’s Day feature in USA Today on fathers seeking equal custody rights.
Speaking and Scholarship
Katharine was first published in 2004 and has since co-authored the Virginia chapter of the European Lawyer Reference Series volume, Family Law: Jurisdictional Comparisons. Her more recent publications address parent-child alienation, coercive control in family law matters, child relocation under Virginia law, and best practices for lawyers in a virtual world.
She frequently speaks at legal conferences nationally and internationally on topics including Virginia divorce procedure, the Virginia rules of evidence, enforcement of custody orders, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, domestic and international child relocation, parent-child alienation, and law office management — including, more recently, on managing the emotional dynamics of collaborative cases. Katharine has also organized and moderated multiple symposiums on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction in the U.S. and abroad.
Education
Katharine received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia and her Juris Doctor (with Honors) from The George Washington University, where she served as Chairperson of the Law School Academic Integrity Committee.
Outside of the office, Katharine is passionate about her family and friends, her two rescue dogs, reading, and cooking.