Christian M. Lapham

Shareholder / Member of Management Committee

clapham@beankinney.com

T: 703.525.4000 F: 703.525.2207

Christian Lapham is a shareholder of Bean, Kinney & Korman and has been practicing law since 2002. He has a diverse background representing clients in domestic relations and civil litigation matters.

As a divorce lawyer, Christian has successfully litigated complex child custody matters, including cases involving relocation, mental illness, substance abuse, and parental alienation. He has also handled numerous complex equitable distribution and spousal support matters, including matters involving federal employees and military service members, valuation issues pertaining to businesses, and sophisticated asset-tracing issues. A former small business owner himself, Christian appreciates the challenges and nuances of a separation and divorce where one party owns a business.

Christian’s approach to family law incorporates three fundamental aspects: education, counseling, and advocacy. As the son of an Arlington elementary school teacher, he believes you cannot make an informed decision unless you are educated on how to understand the legal issues and implications of this decision.

Christian is the author of a divorce toolkit, offering open source insights into this process even prior to the initial consult. He has been certified as a Collaborative attorney and has represented clients in the Collaborative Process with great success and takes a measured approach to his legal counsel of clients, understanding that decisions made during the separation and divorce process are complex and may have lasting implications for the greater family dynamic.

Finally, Christian is a zealous advocate for his clients both inside and outside the courtroom and has been negotiating and litigating family law matters in all Northern Virginia jurisdictions for two decades. While education and counseling are important, Christian understands that in certain situations, zealous advocacy inside of a courtroom is the only way to handle a difficult adversary, particularly in situations involving mental illness or a personality disorder.

In his spare time, Christian is busy chasing his two boys around the streets of Arlington and the ski slopes of Snowshoe, West Virginia.

Christian is also a member of the firm’s management committee.

Service Areas

Experience

Represented a client to prevent the relocation of the client’s youngest daughter to another state in a hotly contested custody and relocation case in Fairfax Circuit Court. The daughter was not relocated.
Represented a client in the settlement of complex equitable distribution/asset tracing issues involving a large sum of separate assets maintained in trust, thereby saving the client tens of thousands of dollars in litigation expenses.

Bar & Court Admissions

Virginia, 2002

Education

George Mason University School of Law, J.D., 2001
Managing Justice, Moot Court Board
Federal Circuit Bar Journal
University of Virginia, B.A., 1997

Awards & Affiliations

Awards

Washingtonian, Top Divorce and Family Law Lawyer, 2021-2025
Virginia Business, Legal Elite in Family Law/Domestic Relations, 2019-2025
Arlington Magazine, Top Attorney – Family Law, 2019, 2021-2025
Virginia Super Lawyers in Family Law, 2014 – 2026
Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers in Family Law, 2015 – 2026
Best Lawyers in America in Family Law, 2014 – 2026
Northern Virginia magazine, Top Lawyer, 2013
AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell

Professional Affiliations

Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia
Fairfax Bar Association (Family Law Section)
Virginia State Bar (Family Law Section)
Virginia Bar Association (Family Law Section)
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (Family Law Section)
Habitat for Humanity (Participant, Global Village Program in Portugal)

Blogs

Divorce and Family Law

Updated Virginia Child Support Laws and the Impact on High Income Families

By Christian Lapham and Livia Paschke In July 2025, Virginia implemented its first major update to child support guidelines in more than a decade.[1] For families with higher earnings, these changes may significantly affect the amount of child support in cases filed both before and after July 1, 2025. For parents who either pay or receive child support in Virginia, understanding this updated Statute is essential for protecting your financial interests and ensuring your child’s needs are met.…

October 23, 2025

Divorce and Family Law

The Impact of DOGE on Child and Spousal Support: A Guide for Federal Workers

In the D.C. metro area, one would have to be living under a proverbial rock to not know of the recent reduction in federal workers by the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) across a myriad of federal agencies. Indeed, as of April 1, 2025, The New York Times confirms at least 56,000 confirmed involuntary cuts (although a fraction of those have been reinstated due to court order), approximately 75,000 federal employees have taken buyouts, and at least an additional 170,000 federal jobs…

April 4, 2025

Divorce and Family Law

Dividing Complex Assets in a Divorce: The Role of Forensic Accountants in High-Asset Divorces (Part 1 of 3)

Welcome to our three-part series on navigating the complexities of high-asset divorces. In cases involving significant financial holdings, retirement accounts, and high-value personal assets, achieving a fair division often requires an expert in forensic accounting or valuation issues. Certain assets, such as financial accounts, debt accounts, or assets bought or sold near in time have an value which is easily established. Other assets, such as businesses or real estate (residential or…

December 9, 2024

Divorce and Family Law

Navigating Child Custody Issues and Public/Private School Placement

By Christian Lapham and Livia Paschke In Northern Virginia, as in many other locations, highly ranked public schools often compete with a myriad of prestigious private schools. It is a challenge for many parents within an intact family to decide where to send their child or children to school. In a family with separated or divorced parents, particularly those experiencing trust issues and communication challenges, the issue of school placement can become a source of tremendous conflict that…

August 19, 2024

Divorce and Family Law

Understanding “Equitable Distribution” in Virginia Divorce

Divorce is not just a separation of two lives but also the division of their shared assets, including property and debts accumulated during the marriage. In Virginia, this division is governed by a principle known as “equitable distribution.” Unlike the term might suggest, “equitable” does not mean “equal” but rather what the court deems fair based on several factors enumerated in Virginia Code § 20-107.3. This blog will guide you through the nuances of equitable distribution in Virginia,…

May 22, 2024

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Videos

Divorce and Family Law

What is Collaborative Divorce?

Attorney Christian Lapham gives a brief rundown of collaborative divorce, explaining the process and the benefits the method brings to couples going through divorce proceedings.

July 25, 2025

Divorce and Family Law

Lawyer Spotlight -- Christian Lapham, Family Law

July 9, 2025

Divorce and Family Law

Family Law In Focus -- Episode 4: Family Law Toolkit

In episode 4 of Family Law In Focus, attorney Christian Lapham talks about the impact COVID-19 has had on people with respect to family law issues. You can access the Family Law Toolkit mentioned in the video here: https://www.beankinney.com/media/publication/419_Divorce%20Toolkit.pdf

May 4, 2021

Family Law In Focus -- Episode 4: Family Law Toolkit

News & Publications

2026 Super Lawyers

May 29, 2026

Seventeen Attorneys from Bean, Kinney & Korman Recognized as Top Attorneys for 2025 by Arlington Magazine

Arlington Magazine named seventeen Bean, Kinney & Korman attorneys to its 2025 Top Attorneys list, spanning practice areas including litigation, real estate, family law, and employment.

October 20, 2025

seventeen-attorneys-from-bean-kinney-korman-recognized-as-top-attorneys-for-2025-by-arlington-magazine

Twenty Attorneys from Bean, Kinney & Korman Listed in 2026 Best Lawyers in America and Seven Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

Bean, Kinney & Korman earned 27 total recognitions in the 2026 Best Lawyers editions, with twenty attorneys in the main list and seven in Ones to Watch, across seventeen practice areas.

August 21, 2025

twenty-attorneys-from-bean-kinney-korman-listed-in-2026-best-lawyers-in-america-and-seven-attorneys-listed-in-best-lawyers-ones-to-watch

2025 Super Lawyers

Bean, Kinney & Korman congratulates eleven attorneys named 2025 Virginia and Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, six Rising Stars, and two attorneys honored on the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers list.

April 29, 2025

Twenty-One Attorneys from Bean, Kinney & Korman Recognized as Top Attorneys for 2024 by Arlington Magazine

Arlington Magazine named twenty-one Bean, Kinney & Korman attorneys to its 2024 Top Attorneys list, recognized by peers across practice areas including family law, construction, real estate, and litigation.

October 25, 2024