::Zavos Juncker Law Group, PLLC::

As mothers of three sons, it has been extremely important to us to protect our relationships with them and with one another to the greatest extent possible. Through two adoptions, powers of attorney, wills, and more, Michele has helped us achieve our goal...

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The ZAVOS JUNCKER LAW GROUP, PLLC concentrates its practice on family law and estate planning in order to give our clients the best possible personal and professional service. We focus on adoptions, divorces and dissolutions, custody and visitation, donor and parenting agreements, assisted reproductive technology issues, estate planning, and probate matters. We help our clients create legal protections for themselves and the families they choose, including families in the lesbian and gay, deaf, and transgendered communities. We work closely with our clients and are known for our personal service.

Adoptions
We represent all types of adoptive parents including birth parents, married couples, unmarried couples, singles, grandparents and non-birth parents. Our extensive adoption experience includes second parent adoptions, stepparent adoptions, international re-adoptions, adoptions through foster care systems, surrogacy adoptions, agency adoptions, and private placement adoptions. We represent adoptive parents in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. We are also experienced in meeting the requirements of the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children and the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Parenting
We offer customized documents to establish legal relationships with children. Those documents include a Designation of Standby Guardian, a Temporary Guardianship and Power of Attorney for Health Care, nominations of guardians within a Will and various forms of testamentary trusts. We also work with clients to obtain parentage orders where adoptions may not be available.

Assisted Reproductive Technology/Donor and Parenting Agreements Our clients create family in many ways. We have extensive experience crafting (and reviewing) documents that help you build and protect your family. Our donor and parenting agreements are custom designed to fit your situation. The firm represents Intended Parent(s), egg donors, sperm donors and surrogates. Whether you are just starting your search for a donor or surrogate, or already have a private arrangement, or are considering acting as a donor or surrogate, the Firm will work with you to draft, negotiate, and review surrogacy or donor agreements.

Divorce & Dissolution
We represent clients who are ending domestic partnerships and marriages. We will work with you to achieve an amicable resolution to the financial and domestic issues that arise during these transitional periods. We will negotiate on your behalf and draft a separation or property agreement tailored to your needs. If we are unable to reach an agreement for you, our attorneys will provide you with skilled and knowledgeable representation in contested court proceedings.

Custody & Visitation
When difficult legal issues relating to children arise in your family, we can help you find a solution. We will work with you to negotiate agreements regarding custody, visitation, and child support issues. Although we attempt to negotiate solutions to contested issues, when we believe it is in our clients' best interests to litigate the matter, our attorneys will aggressively represent you in contested court proceedings. We have particular expertise in third-party custody disputes.

Pre-Nuptial, Post-Nuptial, & Property Agreements
Even though thinking about a break-up is unpleasant, anyone who is in a relationship, contemplating marriage, or is married should consider signing an agreement of how assets will be divided if the relationship ends. We can assist you in identifying issues that should be addressed in your agreements, negotiate its terms, draft the agreement, and provide for its execution.

Estate Planning
We believe that it is essential for each of us to protect ourselves to the fullest extent of the law. To help our clients achieve this goal we have carefully designed a Personal Planning Documents package. This package starts with a Will but goes further to include a Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, Financial Power of Attorney, HIPPA authorization for access to health care records and a Final Arrangements document. We prepare property, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Probate
During the difficult time of the passing of a loved one, we work with individuals to transfer assets and pay debts according to the instructions in the decedent's Will, or if there is no Will, according to the laws of the jurisdiction where the decedent lived. We represent Personal Representatives and beneficiaries.

Mediation
Michele is a trained mediator and works specifically in the area of family mediation. Mediation is a process that allows parties to resolve their own disputes, assisted by a third party mediator. A mediator does not represent either party and has no stake in the outcome of the issues. Michele helps parties focus on the real issues between them and assists parties in reaching resolutions to their disagreements without going to court.

Collaborative Law
Michele is trained in collaborative law.

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