Legal Professionals of Hirsch & Ehlenberger

Brian Hirsch

From the very first meeting with Brian, I knew that he would serve my best interests at all times. He is very open and transparent about the separation/ divorce process, detailing timeline, possible scenarios, outcome and costs. While my case did not seem complex at first, it quickly evolved into a stalemate for settlement, then to litigation. Brian was calm and strategic throughout the process, making the right moves at the right time.

Brian has significant knowledge of the local courts, opposing attorneys and litigation strategies. As my case was dragged out to improve settlement position, Brian patiently waited for opportunities to shift the momentum to our side. The case was basically settled at the court house steps, with an outcome that far exceeded my expectations. Brian developed a game plan and stuck to it from start to finish, which is far better than being reactive.
Brian’s partners and staff were very responsive and professional. His hourly rate is very competitive compared to other divorce attorney’s in the area, and provided an excellent value based on my outcome. I would not hesitate to recommend Brian to family, friends, and clients. If you are considering separation/ divorce, make sure you get to Brian first.


Brian Hirsch is highly knowledgeable, experienced and trustworthy attorney.

He has lot of patience and understanding and always took time to listen what I had to say, answered my questions and always guided me through my difficult times and made me stay focused in my stressful and emotional situations. He always had my best interest in mind and his honest advice gave me confidence and strong sense of Security throughout the legal process.

Brian is well familiar with the Court system and procedures and presented my case very well with utmost professionalism and achieved the best possible outcome and I am very happy with the results. He and His staff are very helpful and quickly responded back to my e-mails/calls during the entire process.


Mr. Hirsch’s recognition as one of the top divorce attorneys in Virginia is well-deserved. He skillfully and patiently guided me from separation, through negotiated property and support agreements, to an eventual cessation of support upon retirement.

He and his able staff are efficient, his fees are reasonable, and he provides advice and counsel with wisdom, a calming demeanor and a pleasant sense of humor. Brian’s familiarity with the courts, opposing counsel and current developments in family law contributed to his ability to effectively and efficiently help me navigate an unfamiliar and unpleasant landscape. These skills enabled us to avoid active litigation (and associated fees and costs) as he skillfully negotiated each issue to a mutually agreeable resolution. I am confident, however, that he would have been equally effective in the courtroom had it become necessary.

As a fellow attorney, I am not an “easy grader” on such matters. Brian Hirsch earned an A+.


Attorney with Integrity, Brilliance and Experience

I have been a client of Brian’s for almost a decade. I started with the firm when it was Craig & Hirsch and I was fortunate enough to have Brian continue as my counsel after Mary Ellen Craig retired in 2006.

Brian’s expertise in family law and his wisdom of experience has made his guidance invaluable. With Brian advising me on contentious situations outside of the courtroom we successfully diffused things on many occasions. Over time with Brian’s insight, I was able to expand my perspective of how to view situations without letting emotions interfere. I have no regrets about not going to court when we did not need to, and am pleased with all of the out-of-court resolutions we reached.

Of course, sometimes resolutions just can’t be reached and court is necessary. Brian is a powerful litigator with the ability to synthesize tremendous amounts of case information and develop a consolidated, impactful argument. Our verdicts were favorable and for me, positively life-altering.

Brian is well-respected in the legal community and he truly is one of the Top Virginia lawyers. He keeps up with family law and also has the ability to read dynamic courtroom situations while he litigates. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Brian and my sons and I would not be in the positive place we are today had it not been for him.

Brian also has a great team at Hirsch & Ehlenberger that is professional, pleasant, responsive and understanding. They also have very favorable billing practices and competitive rates. I have referred two friends to this firm and both were very pleased with their outcomes and experiences.

Carol Ehlenberger

Carol Ehlenberger was exactly what I needed for my divorce. I had a “simple” non contested divorce this past year and she took such good care of my case. I am sure it was “small” in comparison to most she handles but she treated my case with such importance that I never felt worried about any small details.

She took time for all of my calls and repeat questions. When I needed something done by a certain time it was done and done exactly the way I wanted it. I never had to worry about small details and got to go about my daily life and work without having to stress about the process of my case. I have recommended several folks to Carol and a few have retained her services as well. They were also very happy. Even my former spouse passed along her contact information to friends of his for her services. Thank you again for all of the help!


Carol is easy to work with and things get resolved/moved forward very quickly.

She is knowledgeable and did her best to protect my interests. While we did come down to the wire, we avoided trial and settled out of court in what i believe is a fair settlement.


Carol represented me for a divorce litigation. She was extremely helpful in guiding me through the process and providing sage counsel throughout. Carol did an outstanding job in keeping me focused as opposing counsel presented continued roadblocks to resolution. Carol identified the main issues to be addressed early in the process and ensured we addressed the key issues and not the extraneous issues presented.

Carol’s knowledge of the pertinent law was evident in working with opposing counsel. In addition, her dealings with the various opposing counsel were professional yet decisive and was a significant contributor to the final result obtained. Carol’s knowledge of the process and the options available was never more evident when it came to the selection of the mediator. Her demeanor was influential in this key part of the process.

I would highly recommend Carol to anyone going through the divorce process.

Nicole Burns

Nicole Burns is an exceptional lawyer that represented me on a long and protracted child custody case.

With each turn in the case, Ms. Burns explained the legal issue at hand, outlined various scenarios and options and provided a recommendation. I always went with her recommendation which always culminated in a successful outcome. Her extensive knowledge of case law, a wealth of experience on child custody matters and her ability to strategize each scenario of the case always meant she was several steps ahead of the lawyer on the opposition.

Furthermore, Ms. Burns’ representation in court was a masterpiece and my victory in court was a testament to her legal prowess. I was awarded double the amount of legal fees, the child support amount requested and the judge agreed with our contempt of court order. Finally, importantly, Ms. Burns was very responsive. She understood the emotional toll the case took on me and guided me through some tough legal choices. I was always confident in the decisions taken and extremely satisfied with the outcome.

I am so thankful that Nicole Burns came into my life.

Divorce is never easy especially when you are faced with one at an older age and the divorce will not be settled quickly and easily. Emotions, a fear of the future, and stress levels are high. You need legal counsel that you can trust and who can be your guide by keeping the situation organized and calm. When Nicole became my “team” they were both sympathetic, calm, and reactive to quickly arising issues. They knew immediately how to handle the entire process, led me through some difficult situations, and reassured me things would be alright. I am forever grateful to both Nicole.

My ex and I were supposed to negotiate a revision to our spousal support agreement, but we ended up miles apart. I didn’t want to go to court, yet I simply couldn’t afford to offer any more money. Nicole Burns reassured me that I wasn’t crazy—that I’d already matched the best my ex was likely to get from a judge and that, in the long run, my best option was to face her down.

The ensuing months were a drain in many ways, as my ex and her attorney dragged out the process. Nicole was responsive and helpful throughout, however, focusing strongly on substance as she filed the motion, ushered me through discovery, and issued subpoenas as needed. I was grateful for her tolerance of my occasional frustration and—if I’m being honest—anger. It can’t be fun wading into a broken marriage, and I admire her focus. Meanwhile the firm’s paralegal support was always excellent, and I felt welcome whenever I arrived to pore through documents in person.

As the hearing date approached, our case grew increasingly solid and things looked good. My ex came to the table and we settled at the last minute for roughly what I had offered in the first place. Could we have avoided all that time, pain, and expense? Yes, and I wish we had. Unfortunately, it takes two people to agree. When that didn’t happen, I was pleased to have Hirsch & Ehlenberger behind me. I recommend the firm—and Nicole Burns specifically—without hesitation.

Danielle Poliner

Danielle represented me in a custody modification case, and I could not have been more pleased with her performance. She was very responsive to all of my inquiries, and she diligently kept me up-to-date with the status of my case.

I found Danielle and her law firm after feeling lost in the process with a different law firm. I was in need of an attorney that would provide me the guidance I was missing. Danielle took into account what issues were important to me, such as time with my children, and what issues I was willing to compromise on. Over several months she worked tirelessly to make sure the final agreement was something I was satisfied with. She was always available and responsive to me, she kept me in the loop during the whole process, and I felt like she was two steps ahead of the opposing attorney Danielle is organized, professional, logical, knowledgeable, caring and always responsive. I would recommend Danielle to anyone needing an attorney for any legal family matter issue.

The opposing party was unwilling to settle out of court, so a hearing was necessary to settle the matter. Under these most stressful of conditions is where Danielle was truly impressive. Her preparation and organization preceding court were at a level beyond anything I had anticipated or expected. Her meticulous attention to detail greatly reduced my unease on the day of the hearing. It was apparent that even the judge took notice of her preparation. With Danielle’s presentation of clear, concise arguments, the results we better than I had anticipated.

Danielle went above and beyond representing me, and I cannot overstate my endorsement of her.

Sharon Pederson

It has been an amazing experience with Hirsch & Ehlenberger, P.C., Attorney Ms. Sharon Pederson did outstanding work on my family case.

I highly recommend Sharon. She is professional, extremely knowledgeable and ethical. Her professional guidance and recommendations were exactly what I was looking for. She is an excellent attorney!

DISCLAIMER: THE CLIENT COMMENTS BELOW ARE BASED UPON INDIVIDUAL CASE RESULTS. CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. CASE RESULTS IN ONE CASE DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY OTHER CASE UNDERTAKEN BY ANY PARTICULAR ATTORNEY OR THE FIRM. PLEASE CONTACT US TODAY TO SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION TO DISCUSS YOUR SITUATION AND YOUR LEGAL OPTIONS.