Hello, I’m Christy Zlatkus.

When I walked into a family law courtroom for the first time, I knew I had walked into the best job in the world. I practice family law because it is an extension of everything that matters to me most: strengthening the bonds between children and parents and building people up in moments when they feel their world is crumbling. Leveraging my education to impact the lives of families and contribute to the field I love is a privilege – one I try to pay forward through service to my clients and my profession.

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I earned my Juris Doctor from George Washington University in May 2009, after graduating from University of Maryland with two Bachelors of Arts degrees in May 2006. After law school, I spent two years as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Sherrie L. Krauser in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland. I’ve managed to squeeze time in between my education and professional pursuits to mess around in my kitchen with new recipes, dive into some great reads with my book club, and spend time spoiling my two American Cocker Spaniels, Lily and Hannah.

I view the opportunities I’ve had to advance my career through education and training under the guidance of incredible legal professionals as a privilege. I invest a great deal of time and effort contributing back to the family law field, through volunteer work like co-chairing the Montgomery County Bar Foundation’s Continuing Legal Education Committee, the Advanced Litigation Symposium I chair annually and efforts to support sitting judges in Montgomery county, where the bulk of my cases are. I do this work both because it is an honor to serve the field I love, and because I firmly believe each of my clients is best served not only through the strong counsel I provide, but also through my efforts to improve the system overall.

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I started Z Family Law, LLC because I wanted to build a firm dedicated to building strong families through compassionate, steadfast counsel. My commitment to bracing clients at the outset for the emotional and financial hurdles that lie ahead empowers each family I serve to make decisions about their future with a level head, and a clear sense of the process start to finish. This clarity, along with my commitment to stand by their side and fight for their best interests, gives my clients reassurance that they will never walk alone through the challenges that come hand in hand with any family law proceeding.

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Every aspect of my firm is built upon a bedrock commitment to zealously pursue our clients’ long-term hopes and dreams for their families. My team invests time at the outset of every case getting to know who our clients hope to become on the other side of their unique proceedings. We tailor our strategy for each unique case to support who our clients hope to become years after our work together has ended.

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Beyond the compassionate, level headed guidance each of my clients benefit from, my work is firmly rooted in a commitment to providing rigorous, cost effective solutions for the families I serve. I am licensed to practice in Maryland, and am a member of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, the Bar Association of Frederick County, and the Maryland State Bar Association. I am a co-chair of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation’s Continuing Legal Education Committee, and in June 2016, I was honored to be selected to join the prestigious Montgomery County, Maryland Bar Foundation Bar Leaders. I do service in the Montgomery County, Maryland American Inn of Court and was a member of the 2016-2017 Bar Association for Montgomery County, Maryland Leadership Development Academy.

In 2018, I became licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and in 2017, I was admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court. I want each of my clients to know they have me as their partner to the very end, whether that means settling before we ever step foot in a courtroom, or bringing a case all the way to the Supreme Court. My commitment to the families I serve is unshakable, and my professional credentials match my emotional investment in each of my clients.

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There are countless great attorneys working throughout the DC metro area, and I truly want each family facing a legal proceeding to find the right fit for their needs. The families that choose to work with me are people who want to feel like they have a ride-or-die partner at their side throughout their case. I have been going to the same hairdresser for nearly a decade – she’s the only person I trust to help me become the best version of myself, at least in the coiffure department. I want my clients to feel the same about my counsel; that they can turn over their challenges to my talented team, find humor and grace in the process, and trust they will be better off on the other side of their proceedings as a result of my guidance.