In the area of family law, Bean, Kinney & Korman is not a litigation-first firm—yet the percentage of family law cases going to trial has risen dramatically in recent years. Stress levels and instances of abuse escalated during the pandemic, and the after-effects have been palpable. “If someone was being unfaithful or physically violent, that didn’t not happen during Covid,” says Christian Lapham, one of the firm’s eight family-law attorneys. “It was at people’s doorsteps all the time.” So it’s understandable how an attorney like Lapham might come to view his job as 75% law, 25% psychology. This requires a delicate tap dance in Arlington, given that many of the firm’s lawyers live in the county and are personally acquainted with the schools and teachers who may be called as third-party witnesses in custody disputes. Tact and discretion are paramount. “There’s no other firm like it,” says Lapham, “in terms of being so deeply embedded in the community.”–Susan Anspach
Other top vote-getters:
Blankingship & Keith, Mullett Dove & Bradley Family Law, Schmergel & Mersberger, Surovell Isaacs & Levy