7130 Heritage Village Plaza Ste 201, Gainesville, VA 20155
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Michelle Hopkins is a skilled and dedicated family law attorney with more than a decade of experience guiding clients through some of life's most personal and consequential legal matters. Since founding The Hopkins Law Firm, PLLC in August 2011, she has built what began as a solo practice into a thriving firm with a Managing Attorney, Associate Attorney, and a dedicated team of paralegals and legal assistants. Michelle concentrates her practice on domestic relations and family law, offering comprehensive legal support and representation across the full range of matters that affect families and individuals. She represents clients in divorce proceedings, including both uncontested and high-conflict cases, as well as child custody and visitation disputes, child and spousal support, equitable distribution of assets, and modifications of existing court orders. She also brings extensive experience to estate planning, helping clients protect what matters most through carefully drafted wills, trust, powers of attorney, and advanced medical directives.
Michelle brings a thorough command of both negotiation and the courtroom to every case she handles. With more than a decade of litigation and trial experience, she has represented clients through contested trials, high-conflict custody disputes, and complex financial matters, while also helping clients reach durable, cost-effective resolutions through negotiated settlements. She understands that no two families are alike, and she tailors her approach—whether at the negotiating table or before a Judge—to the goals and circumstances of each individual client.
Michelle earned her Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University and her J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. While attending law school, she gained hands-on experience as a law clerk at a small law firm, where she continued as an Associate Attorney after graduating. Her early legal training also included clerkships with the Hawaii State Office of the Attorney General in the Education Division and the Hawaii Judiciary's Staff Attorney Office. Prior to practicing law, she served as an education site manager at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.
Michelle's work has earned consistent recognition from the legal community. She was selected as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star and has been named a Top 10 Lawyer in Virginia by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys every year since 2017. She has also received the Martindale-Hubbell® Client Champion Award for 11 consecutive years (as of 2024) and has been recognized as a Top Lawyer by Northern Virginia Magazine annually since 2017.
In addition to her legal practice, Michelle has maintained a long-standing commitment to education. Since 2004, she has served as an Adjunct Professor at Hawaii Pacific University, teaching courses including Introduction to American Political Processes, Public Personnel
Management, Political Ideologies, and Public Administration. Her ability to translate complex ideas into clear, accessible terms informs both her teaching and her client work.
Michelle lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys spending time with her children, stepchildren, and grandchildren. Outside of the office, she is an avid reader, an enthusiastic home cook, and loves spending time outdoors. A longtime patron of the arts, she particularly enjoys attending theater performances in Washington, D.C.
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