At 43 years of age, Christopher Schinstock is widely regarded today as one of the top young divorce lawyers in the metropolitan Washington region. Well-liked and respected by peers and rivals from his arrival in the region in the mid-90s, Schinstock owns a reputation as a diligent and thorough lawyer with strong litigation skills, something of a lost art in this age of confrontation-averse lawyering. Unlike many young lawyers today, he's comfortable with complex legal issues, and articulates them clearly. Indeed, in many respects Schinstock is a professional extension of his firm's founders - particularly trial attorney James R. Cottrell - who today, after decades of advocacy for divorce clients, make up what is perhaps the leading domestic-relations litigation boutique in Virginia.

The youngest of three sons of a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Schinstock grew up "a classic Army brat" who was born in Heidelberg, Germany, but was raised primarily in Southern Arizona. He followed a brother to VMI "without even having laid eyes on" the Lexington, Va., campus. He describes four years there as "very challenging, both physically and mentally," but he excelled at the 1300-student academy and, with a degree in History and English, he went straight on to Washington & Lee Law School. In his final year at W&L Law, Schinstock clerked for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Roanoke, Virginia. As he was "third year practice certified," Schinstock was fortunate enough to try motions and litigate actual jury trials while clerking there. This experience shaped his desire to become a trial attorney.

After law school, Schinstock immediately worked with former Commonwealth's Attorney, Hal St. Clair, a respected litigator in rural Alleghany County, Virginia. He spent 2.5 years practicing criminal and civil litigation with St. Clair, who was, according to Schinstock, "a gentleman" and "a great mentor." One summer day in 1995 Cottrell, himself a VMI graduate, drove down Interstate 81 and offered Schinstock a position on the spot.

Schinstock says he was drawn to matrimonial law "because coupled with criminal defense litigation it's arguably the purest form of litigation practice today." He describes Cottrell as "the best divorce litigator in Virginia." Joining the firm "was an easy decision." Thirteen years later, Schinstock is now a key partner at the six-attorney Cottrell firm.

Even for a litigator, Schinstock keeps a furious pace: He's in Northern Virginia courts two to three days a week, and goes to trial with more than 20 cases each year, a staggering sum for any lawyer today. His workload reflects the fact that the firm sees the toughest cases, including tricky international custody and relocation cases. "We find we are often the second or third counsel in many of our cases." He adds: "People don't come to us with easy or low-stakes matters." Today, Schinstock and his wife Beth live in Annandale with their two young children, who are the "focus of our lives."