Practice: Emphasizes family law and residential real estate transactions.

Mr. Goodman has been trained in a relatively new method of alternate dispute resolution known as "Collaborative Law".  In this process, lawyers who have been appropriately trained are retained as settlement counsel only.  Both parties to the dispute and their attorneys sign a binding contract that prevents them from engaging in litigation or threatening to do so to resolve their dispute.  If this collaborative process fails, the lawyers must withdraw from representation of their clients, who must then obtain new counsel before proceeding with the court process.

A member of the Northern Virginia Chapter of Collaborative Family Law Society, Mr. Goodman can provide referrals to other chapter members, who have also participated in the required training sessions.  Once both parties have selected counsel, they can then embark upon a journey which will, hopefully, lead to an interest-based settlement acceptable to both parties without economic and emotional expenses of contested litigation.

Education: University of Virginia (J.D., 1971); Franklin & Marshall College (A.B., 1968).

Memberships: Commissioner in Chancery, Fairfax County Circuit Court, 1989-, Member, Board of Directors, Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Inc., 1992 - 1998, Neutral Case Evaluator, Fairfax 1995 – Present. Fairfax (Member, Board of Directors, 1984-90; Secretary, 1988-1989; Treasurer, 1989-1990; Member 1980-1983, and Chairman, 1982-1983, Judicial Selection Committee; Member 1979-1983 and Chairman 1980-1982, Lawyer Referral Service Committee; Member:  Circuit Court Committee, 1979-1982 (Family Law Section) and American (Member, Family Law Section) Bar Associations; Virginia State Bar (Member, State Bar Council, 1990-1996; Member, Standing Committee on Lawyer Discipline, 2000 – 2006.