VSB Discipline — Keith Hammer Waldrop Suspended 90 Days Effective April 1, 2026

Effective April 1, 2026, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board suspended the license of Keith Hammer Waldrop (Keith H. Waldrop & Associates, PO Box 268, Goochland, VA 23063) for 90 days for failure to fulfill the terms of a prior public reprimand. VSB Docket No. 26-070-136669. Order published Ma

VSB Discipline — Lenard Tyrone Myers Jr. Suspended 60 Days Effective April 1, 2026

Effective April 1, 2026, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board suspended the license of Lenard Tyrone Myers Jr. (Fortress Proprietas, P.C., 1876 Wells Fargo Center, Norfolk, VA 23510) for 60 days with terms. VSB Docket Nos. 25-041-134307, 25-041-134930, 25-041-135420. Order dated March 20, 2026;

HB 303 Awaiting Governor Action — Divorce Reform; No-Fault Grounds Expanded; Fault-Grounds Work Group

HB 303 was enrolled and communicated to Governor Spanberger on March 31, 2026 (deadline April 13). The bill: (1) specifies that adultery grounds for divorce require that the adultery occurred prior to the final separation of the parties; (2) allows a divorce from bed and board to be decreed on appli

HB 1207 / SB 2 Awaiting Governor Action — Virginia Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program

HB 1207 (identical to SB 2) is enrolled and awaiting Governor Spanberger's signature (communicated March 31, 2026; deadline April 13). Spanberger has publicly committed to signing. The bill creates a state-administered paid family and medical leave insurance program through the Virginia Employment C

HB 5 / SB 199 Awaiting Governor Action — Paid Sick Leave Mandate for All Virginia Employees

HB 5 (identical to SB 199) is enrolled and awaiting Governor Spanberger's action (communicated March 31, 2026; deadline April 13). Spanberger is expected to sign. The bill requires all private employers and state/local governments to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up

Governor Spanberger's First Bill Signings — March 31, 2026 (No Family Law Bills in First Batch)

On March 31, 2026, Governor Spanberger signed her first slate of legislation focused on healthcare, housing, and energy affordability. None of the family law-focused bills tracked (HB 942, HB 303, HB 93/SB 38, HB 19/SB 160, HB 301, HB 1207/SB 2, HB 5/SB 199) were included in this first batch. Bills

Virginia General Assembly Elects New JDR and Circuit Court Judges — Ten New JDR Judges Starting in 2026

Virginia Lawyers Weekly published on March 30, 2026 the complete list of judges elected by the General Assembly in mid-March, including ten new judges to Virginia's JDR district courts statewide.

HJR315 / SR168, 2026 Regular Session

Governor Spanberger Takes No Action on Pending Family Law Bills March 26–30 — April 13 Deadline Remains

As of March 30, 2026, Governor Spanberger has not signed, vetoed, or recommended amendments to any of the pending family law bills on her desk.

VSB Discipline: Taso Rashid Noel Saunders — Six-Month Suspension

Effective March 27, 2026, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board suspended Taso Rashid Noel Saunders's license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia for six months.

HB 1207 / SB 2 (Paid Family and Medical Leave): Passed Both Chambers, Awaiting Spanberger Signature

HB 1207 and SB 2 — Virginia's paid family and medical leave bills — both passed their respective chambers and are awaiting Gov. Spanberger's signature, which is widely expected before the April 13, 2026 deadline. The bills establish a payroll-funded insurance program administered by the Virginia Emp

2026 Va. HB 1207 / SB 2

SCOTUS: No Family Law Opinions Issued March 22–26, 2026 — Criminal and Administrative Decisions Only

During the week of March 22–26, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued three opinions: Rico v. United States (No. 24-1056, Mar. 25), Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment (No. 24-171, Mar. 25), and Zorn v. Linton (No. 25-297, Mar. 23). None of these decisions directly address family law,

Virginia Paid Family and Medical Leave — WSET Report on Employer and Worker Impact (March 25, 2026)

WSET (ABC 13 Lynchburg) reported on March 25, 2026 on the pending Virginia paid family and medical leave legislation (HB 1207/SB 2) awaiting Gov. Spanberger's action. The report highlighted the program's key features: most employers with more than 10 employees would be required to participate in a s

Childress v. Childress — VA Court of Appeals Affirms Sole Custody, Psychiatric Evaluation Conditions, Social Media Ban (March 24, 2026)

In this unpublished Virginia Court of Appeals opinion issued March 24, 2026, the court affirmed a circuit court order awarding sole legal and physical custody of three children to the father following a 7-day trial. The mother — who had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and exhibited sympto

Childress v. Childress, No. 1843-23-3 (Va. Ct. App. Mar. 24, 2026) (unpublished)

VSB Discipline: John Paul Forest II Administratively Suspended March 24, 2026 (Subpoena Non-Compliance)

On March 24, 2026, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board administratively suspended the law license of John Paul Forest, II for failing to comply with a subpoena duces tecum issued by the Bar. This is an administrative suspension (as opposed to a disciplinary suspension following a full hearing)

Virginia General Assembly Session Ends March 14: Overview of Family Law Bills on Governor's Desk

The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session ended sine die on March 14, 2026, sending more than 1,200 bills to Gov. Abigail Spanberger's desk. The session was notable for passage of sweeping family-adjacent legislation including paid family and medical leave (HB 1207/SB 2), universal paid sick leave

PBGC Updated Practical Guide to Dividing PBGC Benefits in Divorce — March 2026

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) published an updated practical guide dated March 24, 2026 on dividing PBGC-insured pension benefits in divorce through a QDRO. The guide reiterates that without an approved QDRO, PBGC can only pay the plan participant or post-death beneficiaries, regar

HB 5 / SB 199 (Paid Sick Leave): Passed Both Chambers, Awaiting Spanberger Signature — July 2027 Effective

HB 5 and SB 199, Virginia's universal paid sick leave bills, passed both chambers and are before Gov. Spanberger, who is expected to sign before the April 13, 2026 deadline. The bills expand Virginia's narrow existing paid sick leave law (currently limited to home health workers) to all public and p

2026 Va. HB 5 / SB 199

VSB Legal Ethics Committee Seeks Public Comment on NDAs in Sexual Abuse Settlement Agreements (March 23, 2026)

On March 23, 2026, the Virginia State Bar Legal Ethics Committee issued a formal call for public comment on the use of nondisclosure and confidentiality provisions in settlement agreements resolving civil personal injury claims arising from criminal sexual assault, commercial sex trafficking, or oth

VSB Discipline: Edgar Hampton DeHart Jr. Public Reprimand Without Terms (March 23, 2026)

Effective March 23, 2026, the Tenth District, Section I Subcommittee of the Virginia State Bar issued a public reprimand without terms to Edgar Hampton DeHart, Jr. The VSB posted this action on March 24, 2026. No specific professional rule violation was identified in the public summary. A public rep

Six-Month Suspension — Marlene Alice Harris of Midlothian (Effective March 21, 2026)

Effective March 21, 2026, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board suspended Marlene Alice Harris for six months for violating professional rules governing diligence, communication, and declining or terminating representation. Agreed disposition; VSB Docket No. 25-031-134513.

VSB Docket No. 25-031-134513