Douglas J. Sanderson

Douglas J. Sanderson enjoys using his many decades of experience as a solutions-focused attorney to provide legal services to people and their companies in the multiple practice areas of family law/domestic relations, commercial real estate, and business organizations and transactions. Doug began his practice primarily focused on real estate litigation and transactions. After several years he changed his practice from real estate litigation to focus mostly on transactions. Next Doug began his practice of family law because it provided him the opportunity to work one-on-one with and help find and implement solutions for  people dealing with significant, personal and life-changing events, where he could help make a personal difference for them.

In his family law/domestic relations practice, Doug counsels and represents people with issues of or relating to divorces, separation agreements, child custody and visitation, equitable distribution, and support (spousal and child, as needed), as well as, on a more upbeat note, pre-nuptial agreements. Doug strives to apply problem-solving methods and skills for his clients that avoid or minimize litigation, and thus to save the clients on stress and attorneys’ fees. He prefers to avoid going to court where possible. To further that effort he has been trained in the process of Collaborative Divorce and has joined its local practice group, Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia, to continue his learning and implementation of Collaborative Divorce.

In Doug’s business and commercial real estate practices, which both also are non-litigation practices, he advises and advocates for owners and operators of businesses, including real estate office building and retail owners and tenants, asset advisors, business investors, and developers. His practice includes providing legal counsel for the acquisition, development, construction, leasing and sale of properties such as office buildings, retail properties, communications towers, mixed-use developments and condominiums; the negotiation, amendment and documentation of commercial, retail and telecommunications/celltower leases and of real estate-secured loans; the organization and financing of business entities; the organization of property owners’ associations; and the foreclosure of real estate-secured loans. Where real estate litigation is needed, he works with others in the firm to support our clients.