A Shareholder in the Family Law and Fiduciary Litigation Practice Group, Kimberly Skiba-Rokosky represents clients in Virginia and in Maryland in domestic relations matters; guardianships and conservatorships; and fiduciary matters. Clients appreciate Kimberly’s responsiveness, patience and compassion when interacting with them through some of the most difficult times of their lives. At the same time, she is a zealous advocate for her clients. With impeccable attention to detail and an ability to keep the big picture and end game in focus, Kimberly takes pride in tailoring her strategy to each client’s specific set of circumstances. She strives to successfully achieve her client’s goals and objectives by the most direct path possible, but can easily shift focus or change tactics, to best advance her client’s position.
“Kimberly is an outstanding attorney who pays attention to detail, leaves no stone unturned, and actually looks out for her clients…She was brilliant, supportive, and kind.”—as noted by a previous client.
A recognized leader in Family Law, Kimberly has been practicing law since 2006, is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been named by Virginia Super Lawyers as either a “Rising Star” or a Super Lawyer since 2011. She has authored numerous articles in the area of Domestic Relations and is frequently called upon to speak at seminars for other attorneys and for paralegals on topics related to family law. Her colleagues appreciate her ability to explain multifaceted concepts in straightforward, understandable terms.
“Kimberly has exceptional ability and skill both as a trial attorney and as an advocate for her clients. She also possesses the analytical skills necessary to evaluate a case and bring it to a fair conclusion without expending unnecessary time and effort…She is able to work out difficult situations by continuing to foster a dialogue conducive to settlement.” –as noted by an opposing counsel.
Within her Family Law practice, Kimberly is equally adept at handling the financial complexities of divorce and support, the emotionality of divorce, and custody and visitation cases. She is well-versed in the handling of complex assets, the valuation of small businesses and the division of various types of retirement accounts. Throughout her career, Kimberly has successfully represented women and men, executives and stay-at-home parents, from varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. She frequently tackles divorces and/or custody and visitation cases involving severe mental health conditions or substance abuse.
Kimberly is one of a handful of attorneys practicing in Northern Virginia who can litigate both uncontested and contested guardianship/conservatorship proceedings with ease. In these types of matters, she has extensive experience representing clients in each role—as the party seeking a guardianship/conservatorship for his or her loved one, as the adult alleged to be incapacitated seeking to prevent such a finding, and as a court-appointed Guardian ad litem in Virginia for the adult alleged to be incapacitated. Kimberly’s cases have involved adults of varying ages with capacity issues stemming from intellectual disabilities, dementia, strokes and mental health disorders, among other conditions. Recently, she has been involved in a number of guardianship/ conservatorship cases stemming from or associated with divorce actions.
Within her Fiduciary Litigation practice, Kimberly ideally advises Personal Representatives (Administrators or Executors), Guardians and Conservators, Agents under Powers of Attorney and Trustees on how to administer the estates or trusts under their control to best avoid ending up in a courtroom. If and when litigation does ensue, she is equipped to handle all aspects, often calling on her experience and knowledge in litigation generally, and in estate planning and estate, trust, and conservatorship administration. She regularly assists clients with allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, actions for aid and direction and show cause or removal actions.
Kimberly is licensed to practice in all courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as in Maryland. Before joining Shulman Rogers, she was a Shareholder at the Fairfax law firm of Surovell Isaacs & Levy PLC. Prior to that, she practiced for about ten years in the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. Kimberly has practiced Family Law her entire career, both as a lawyer and as a paralegal before attending law school.
Recognition
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating – AV Preeminent, 2014 – Present
- Super Lawyer or Rising Star (Virginia), 2011 – Present
- Rising Star by Super Lawyers (Washington, D.C.), 2016 – 2021
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2014
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2014
- First Richmond Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year, 2012
Publications
- Keys to Managing Financial Information, Divorce Cases from Start to Finish (Institute for Paralegal Education, October 28, 2019)
- First Steps and Notices, Personal Representative Duties, Opening the Estate, and Marshalling the Assets, Estate Administration Boot Camp (National Business Institute, October 16, 2018)
- Pendente Lite Support versus Permanent Support, 2017 VTLA Annual Family Law Seminar, September 13, 2017
- How to File an Estate in Probate Court and Working with Executors and Administrators, The Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals (Institute for Paralegal Education, May 9, 2017)
- Who’s the Expert Anyway? Serving your Client as an Expert in a Divorce Case (National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, Virginia chapter, November 2, 2016)
- Child Evaluations in Custody and Support Litigation, Family Law: Advanced Issues and Top Challenges (National Business Institute, October 19, 2015)
- Dividing Retirement Assets and Finding, Valuing, and Dividing Other Assets and Debts, Financial Divorce Settlements from Start to Finish (National Business Institute, March 2014)
- Written materials for When a Party’s Freudian Slip Shows: A Mental Health and Judicial Perspective, 2009 Richmond Bench-Bar Conference, October 2009
- Advance Medical Directives, Living Wills, and Durable Health Care Powers ofAttorney, Top Estate Planning Techniques (National Business Institute, October 2009)
- Planning Methods to Control Medical Treatment, Drafting Effective Wills and Trusts (National Business Institute, April 2008 (Contributing author, with Phoebe P. Hall)
- Assisting with Estate Planning, Virginia Estate Planning and Probate Practice for Paralegals (Half Moon LLCS, April 2008) (Contributing author, with Phoebe P. Hall)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2011)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2010)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2009)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2008)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lavvyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2007)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lawyer: Deskbookfor Practitioners ,Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2006) (Contributing author, with Julie M. Cillo)
- Family Law, in The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, Ch. 5 (Virginia CLE Publications, 2005) (Contributing author, with Julie M. Cillo)
- Non-parent Custody and/or Visitation Cases, 2007 Richmond Bench-Bar Conference, October 2007
- Not Without My Daughter: Parental Kidnapping and Interstate and International Custody Disputes, Richmond Bar Association CLE, January 23, 2008
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- Keys to Managing Financial Information, Divorce Cases from Start to Finish, Institute for Paralegal Education, October 28, 2019
- First Steps and Notices, Personal Representative Duties, Opening the Estate, and Marshalling the Assets, Estate Administration Boot Camp, National Business Institute, October 16, 2018
- Pendente Lite Support versus Permanent Support, 2017 VTLA Annual Family Law Seminar, September 13, 2017
- Who’s the Expert Anyway? Serving your Client as an Expert in a Divorce Case, National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, Virginia chapter, November 2, 2016
- How to File an Estate in Probate Court and Working with Executors and Administrators, The Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals, Institute for Paralegal Education, May 9, 2017
- Special Issues in Military Divorce and Child Evaluations in Custody and Support Litigation, Family Law: Advanced Issues and Top Challenges, National Business Institute, October 19, 2015
- Domestic Relations Issues, Northern Virginia Women’s Center, August 15, 2015
- Not Without My Daughter: Parental Kidnapping and Interstate and International Custody Disputes, Metropolitan Richmond Family Law Bar Association CLE, June 12, 2014
- Dividing Retirement Assets and Finding Valuing, and Dividing Other Assets and Debts, Financial Divorce Settlements from Start to Finish, National Business Institute, March 2014
- Basic Estate Planning, Ampthill Presbyterian Church Seniors’ Program, December 4, 2012
- Basic Estate Planning, James River Rotary Club, August 25, 2010
- Local Women Who Mean Business, CBS Channel 6, August 23, 2010
- Closing Arguments, Oliver Hill/Samuel Tucker Pre-law Institute, July 21, 2010
- Estate Planning 101: Making Those Important Decisions in Advance So Your Loved Ones Don’t Have To, Webinar for Leahy & Clair, June 24, 2010
- Advance Medical Directives, Living Wills, and Durable Health Care Powers of Attorney, Top Estate Planning Techniques, National Business Institute, October 2009
- From Henrico to the Hague: A Primer on Interstate and International Custody and Jurisdiction Cases, 2008 Richmond Bench Bar Conference, October 2008
- Planning Methods to Control Medical Treatment, Drafting Effective Wills and Trusts, National Business Institute, April 2008 (Contributing speaker, with Phoebe P. Hall)
- Assisting with Estate Planning, Virginia Estate Planning and Probate Practice for Paralegals, Half Moon LLCS, April 2008 (Contributing speaker, with Phoebe P. Hall)
- Not Without My Daughter: Parental Kidnapping and Interstate and International Custody Disputes, Richmond Bar Association CLE, January 23, 2008
