Family law attorney · Mediator · Conflict coach
Christine Hissong
I have worked in Virginia family law for more than twenty years. I earned my J.D. in 1993, was licensed in Virginia in 1999, and spent two decades litigating separation, divorce, custody, support, and property matters before founding Positive Pathways To Resolution and Success.
20+ years in family law
Virginia Supreme Court certified mediator
ICF ACC coach
Collaboratively trained attorney
Why I Moved Away From Litigation
Litigation gave me a clear view of what a contested divorce costs a family, and of how much of that cost is avoidable. Decisions that shape a child’s week were handed to a judge who had an hour to make them. Private financial details became part of a public record. Legal fees consumed money that both households would need.
I built the practice around the alternative: premarital agreements that settle questions early, and Collaborative and mediated processes that resolve the ones already in front of you.
The aim is a settlement both people understand and can live with, reached without either of them setting foot in a courtroom.
Coaching, and Why I Trained for It
Across those years of litigating, I kept seeing the same missing piece. What escalated a case was rarely a legal question. It was a lack of conflict management skills, on both sides, and the damage it caused was emotional, psychological, and financial.
I trained with ICF accredited Radiance Partners, LLC and became a certified Radiance Coach. I now coach individuals and organizations who want to develop conflict competency, alongside my legal and mediation work.
What Working With Me Looks Like
A Collaborative divorce, a mediation, a premarital agreement and a coaching engagement each run differently. These hold true in all of them.
It Starts With a Conversation
Every matter begins with a complimentary process call that covers how each process works. The details of your situation come later, in a consultation, so you can choose how to proceed before committing to anything.
You Are Never Guessing
You know what the next step is, what it is for, and what it will ask of you. Where something needs explaining before you decide, it gets explained.
The Decisions Stay Yours
Nothing is imposed and nothing is final until you agree to it. The work happens privately, not on a public court record.
Credentials and Recognition
Credentials
Collaboratively trained family law attorney
Virginia Supreme Court certified mediator
Certified mediator mentor
Radiance certified coach, trained through ICF accredited Radiance Partners, LLC
Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation, 2025
J.D. earned 1993, licensed in Virginia 1999
Recognition
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating
Recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine
2021 Virginia Lawyers Weekly honoree
Professional Service
Co-chair, Fairfax County Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
Roster mediator for the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Secretary, Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia
Member, Virginia Collaborative Professionals
Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Start With a Conversation
Every matter begins with a complimentary process call. I walk you through the options, Collaborative, mediation, and negotiated agreement, and what each one involves. The call covers how each process works, not the details of your situation. Those come later, in a consultation, and there is nothing to commit to before then.