Scott M. Strickler

People turn to Scott Strickler when they are facing a challenging situation involving their marriage, custody of their children, or other legal concerns involving their family, particularly when the issues are complex and the stakes are high. Clients benefit from Mr. Strickler’s creative tactics. Opponents are rarely able to predict how he will approach a particular issue in a case.

Mr. Strickler utilizes a highly tactical approach, and has more than three decades of experience in the field of family law. Understanding that no two cases should be approached alike and that every circumstance requires a different strategy, he treats each matter as unique, with no preconceived notions and in a manner that is not one-size-fits-all.

Bethesda Magazine has featured Mr. Strickler multiple times as one of the top divorce lawyers in the DC metro region. The magazine notes that he is excellent at “dealing with complicated tax issues” and he remains focused and committed to improving his clients’ overall “strategic position.” Mr. Strickler has also been selected numerous times by Worth Magazine as one of the top one hundred attorneys in the country serving the needs of affluent clientele, recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as among the top family law attorneys in Maryland, and named in Washington Post Magazine’s “Best Lawyers, A Comprehensive Guide to the Area's Top Attorneys.”

Mr. Strickler began practicing law in 1986, after serving as the judicial law clerk to the Chief Judge of Maryland’s Fifth Judicial Circuit. Since then, his practice has concentrated solely on the field of domestic relations and family law. He represents clients in the negotiation and preparation of property settlement agreements, antenuptial agreements, and post-nuptial agreements, and litigates before the Family Division Masters and judges of the Circuit Courts of Maryland in contested and uncontested divorce, custody, and support matters.

Mr. Strickler has argued and/or briefed cases in both of the appellate courts of Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Much of his practice focuses on complex domestic relations issues involving such things as business valuations, domestic relations taxation, and the use of the tax code to optimize settlement solutions for both parties in a case.

A respected authority in the field of domestic relations and family law, Mr. Strickler is a frequent lecturer and has given numerous presentations to other lawyers, accountants and financial advisors, as well as members of the general public. He has presented programs for the:

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

American Bar Association

Bar Association of Montgomery County

Montgomery County Bar Foundation

Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers

International Association of Financial Planners

American Association of Attorney CPAs

Maryland Commission for Women

His presentations have included such topics as:

“Stock Options and Hidden Assets in Divorce"

“Alimony Trends in Maryland”

“Creative Settlement Strategies – Maximizing Tax Savings”

“How to Choose a Divorce Lawyer”

Seminars & Speaking Engagements:

"Legal Aspects of Separation and Divorce"

Maryland Commission for Women, presented on multiple occasions since 1988; co-authored and edited the Divorce Handbook

"Divorce Decrees, College Degrees", College Financial Aid Strategies, June and July, 1991 (two-part series)

Rita Rosenkrantz Pro Bono Family Law training, Montgomery County Bar Association, annual lecturer since 1994

"Guardians Ad Litem: Collection of Fees From Bankruptcy Debtor", Bar Association of Montgomery County, 1995

"Divorce or Separation: What You Need to Know to Guide Your Clients Through Transition"

"Alimony: Initial Awards and Modifications", Bar Association of Montgomery County, 1998

"Prenuptial Agreements", Law School for the Public, 1999

"Drafting Prenuptial Agreements: The Times, They Are A-Changin'", Maryland Institute for Continuing Education for Lawyers (MICPEL), February, 2000

"Civil Contempt: An Update", Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL), February, 2001

"Stock Options and Hidden Assets in Divorce", Montgomery County Bar Foundation, December, 2001

"Alimony Trends in Maryland", Bar Association of Montgomery County, 2002

"Creative Settlement Strategies: Maximizing Tax Savings", Mediation Matters (marital property training for mediators), presented on multiple occasions, beginning in 2003

"Greater Monetary Awards: Stock Options and Property Settlements", Montgomery County Bar Foundation, September, 2004

"Hot Tips for the Family Law Practitioner", Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL), February, 2005

"Divorce Planning - The Financial Experts Role, A Litigator's Perspective", Maryland Institute of Certified Public Accountants (and local chapters thereof), presented on multiple occasions, beginning October, 2005

"Grandparents' Rights to Custody and Visitation", Law School for the Public, 2007

"Collaborative Law - Pros and Cons", Bar Association of Montgomery County, 2008

"Financial Experts in Divorce", Montgomery County Bar Foundation, December, 2008

“Prenuptial Agreements—Representing the Economically Dominant and Weaker Parties”, American Association of Attorney-CPAs, November, 2014

Professional & Community Affiliations:

Frequent expert witness on issues related to attorneys fees in divorce cases

Expert witness before The World Bank on Maryland child support laws

Pro Bono Mentor, Montgomery County Bar Foundation, 1994 to present

Chair, Program Committee of Family Law Section of Bar Association of Montgomery County, 1997-1998

Court-Appointed Domestic Relations Mediator and Facilitator, 1998 to present

Chair, Family Law Section of Bar Association of Montgomery County, 1998-1999

Executive Committee, Bar Association of Montgomery County, 2000-2001