Steven M. Garver
Steven M. Garver is an accomplished trial attorney and divorce mediator. He moved to Reston, VA, in 1974 with his family, and has developed a diverse legal practice, with litigation experience in personal injury, medical malpractice, civil rights actions, domestic relations, and criminal cases. He also has significant experience in corporate, business, and transactional work. Mr. Garver has tried to verdict personal injury cases, medical malpractice cases, felonies, and business litigation. He has also tried numerous domestic relations matters.
In 1979, Mr. Garver became one of the first attorney mediators handling divorce cases. He was self-taught and driven to the field by what he saw as an unnecessary expense – emotionally and financially – in the divorce process. He has more recently studied at the Harvard Mediation and Negotiation project to expand his skills as a mediator, and is now doing divorce mediation through Divorce Mediation Associates, Ltd. His diverse legal background gives him a special advantage in understanding many of the legal issues faced by families in this complex world.
He is an adjunct professor for George Mason University Law School, teaching classes, including a course in negotiation. Mr. Garver is a certified mediator by the Supreme Court.
Education
- University of Maryland
- J.D., George Mason University
Admissions
- Virginia, 1975
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1975
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 1976
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1979
- U.S. Tax Court, 1976
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1977
- Court of Appeals of Virginia
- Supreme Court of Virginia, 1975
- Maryland, D.C. and Florida, pro hac vice
Professional Associations
- Academy of Professional Family Mediators
- Association of Attorney Mediators
- Virginia Bar Association
- Boyd-Graves Conference, 1980 – present
- Fairfax Bar Association
- Former Director
- Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
- Board of Governors, 1979 – present
- American Association for Justice
- Chair of the House of Delegates, 2007-2008
- Board of Governors, 2007-2008
- Executive Committee, 2007-2008
- Member of a 2007 delegation who went to China and met with members of the bar, law students, and judges of the Courts, where by special order from a Justice of China’s Supreme Court, he had the rare opportunity to view a Chinese trial.
Honors and Accolades
- AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
- Qualified as an expert witness in federal courts, Virginia state courts and Maryland state courts
Prior Experience
- Mackall, Mackall & Walker, Clerk, 1974- 1975
- Kaletah Carroll, 1975-76
- Garver and Moller, Partner, 1978 – 1996
- Commissioner in Chancery, 1988 – present
- George Mason University, adjunct faculty, 2014 – present
Community Service
- Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
- National Capital Area Scholastic Rowing Association, Board member
- Combined Cathedral Crews Rowing Club, Board member
- National Cathedral School, Board and Officer of the Parents Association
- Langley School, Committee member
- CLE lecturer in Domestic Relations, Evidence, Appellate Practice, Tort Law, Medical Malpractice, and Ethics
Dr. Patrice Garver
Patrice B.F. Garver is an accomplished mental health professional and licensed mental health specialist in Virginia. She consults with many professionals in the Virginia area, and her services are often sought by schools, medical professionals, and organizations, specifically because of her work and training in child development and assessment. Dr. Garver has worked with children, families, and other specialists for more than 30 years, providing services for families in need, important feedback as a child specialist, providing services for at-risk families and, in recent years, providing services helping families parents and children navigate the stressors of separation and divorce.
She came to Reston, Virginia, in 1974 with her family and initiated her professional career working with children with learning and psychological needs. She has provided, over the years, support for families, couples, and children undergoing various aspects of trauma, focusing on the “developmental crisis” and trauma of separation and divorce.
Dr. Garver has a long-standing educational and experiential background regarding psychosocial issues and the impact of the divorce process, providing special insights and navigating the separation issues and legal issues faced by families going through a divorce. Her training in mediation and collaborative divorce process has allowed her to provide a healthier way of addressing the legal and psychological aspects of divorce, offering a venue in which both parties can communicate personal interests and goals for themselves and for their children, as they separate and divorce while continuing to co-parent with productive dialogue for the best interest of their children.
She is an adjunct professor at George Mason University Law School, where she teaches a course in negotiation.
Education and Training
- PH.D., University of Maryland, Developmental Psychology (Human Development)
- BA, University of Maryland, Special Education/Psychology
- BA, magna cum laude, University of South Florida (completed Special Ed/ Psychology program)
- University of South Florida, Special Education Graduate Program: Learning disability certification
- University of Virginia, Learning Disabilities Certification for VA
- MA, magna cum laude, Antioch College, Developmental Clinical Psychology
- George Mason University, School Psychology Certification
- Kennedy Krieger Institute: Family Trauma Center, Post Doc/ Counseling training
- MA, Argosy University, Mental Health Counseling
- Completed Required Training as a Mediator and Collaborative Mental Health Counselor
- Currently continuing in Advanced Training
Professional Organizations and Community Services
- International Association of Collaborative Professionals, Member
- Collaborative Professionals of Northern Virginia, President
- Steering Committee, 2015 – present
- “Give an Hour” services for families in need and military, Volunteer, 2012 – present
- American Counseling Association, Member, 2008 – Present
- Safe Community Coalition
- American Psychological Association, Member, 1990 – Present
- Fairfax County partnership group, 1996 – 2010
- Board of Trustees for Langley School, Board of Trustees, 1990 – 1994
- Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), Parental Advisory Board, 2002
- Volunteer Services to scholarship students from Black Student Fund and other nonprofit organizations to assess and helpless psychological issues in educational placement, 1995 – Present
