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Kimberly Hughes Phillips is one of the founding partners of Phillips & Peters, PLLC.  Born and raised in Norfolk, Kim attended both public and private schools.  Attending Norfolk Public Schools during the era of busing, she attended Diggs Park Elementary, Bayview Elementary and Jaycox Junior High Schools before ultimately attending high school and graduating from Norfolk Collegiate School.

After graduating from Old Dominion University, Kim married a United States Infantry Officer and embarked upon a career of support and service to her husband and family.  During her husband’s military service, she earned a Master of Education in Elementary Education from Campbell University in 1995 and a Juris Doctorate from Regent University School of Law in 2005.

Since 2005, Kimberly Hughes Phillips has practiced exclusively in the area of family law. She regularly provides counseling to clients on matters of divorce, equitable distribution, child custody and visitation, spousal and child support, adoptions, pre-marital agreements, marital/separation agreements, post-divorce enforcement actions, and military divorces and pension divisions. As a military dependent her entire life, she has a familiar perspective when assisting military members and spouses of military members with their family law needs.

In 1999 while stationed in Texas, Kim and her husband started an adoption support group for families hoping to adopt.  Having been blessed with two adopted children, Kim relates to the needs of parents going through the adoption process.

In 2010, Phillips & Peters formed with the mission of helping families move forward.  Wanting a boutique law firm focused exclusively in the area of family law, Kim and her team have the ability to concentrate their time, talent, and energies in a core practice area for the benefit of their clients.

In 2015, Kim was appointed by the Norfolk Circuit Court to serve as a substitute judge for the district courts in the Commonwealth. Kim served in the capacity as a substitute judge for over five years presiding over hundreds of matters including hotly contested custody and visitation cases, child and spousal support cases, protective orders, misdemeanor criminal matters, juvenile criminal matters, child dependency/removal matters, domestic assault and battery cases, traffic matters, and civil personal injury trials. After five years of service as a substitute judge, Kim voluntarily resigned the appointment to focus her energies on growing the mediation arm of Phillips & Peters and to guide the business through the global pandemic known as COVID-19.

In addition to practicing law and running a law firm, Kim has been involved with the local area bar associations having served as the President of the Chesapeake Bar Association in 2012, serving on the Executive Board of the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association, serving on various committees for the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association such as Membership (Former Chair), Professionalism, Bench Bar, and Mock Trial (Former Chair) Committees.  Kim coordinated and grew a mock trial program for the middle schools with the Norfolk Public Schools culminating with an annual competition.  In addition, she researched and taught continuing legal education classes in the areas of guardian ad litem practices and military retirement benefits, and opening a law practice.  In 2016, as a certified guardian ad litem for children, Kim spoke on a panel discussion at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters on the issue of parental alienation. In 2018, Kimberly Hughes Phillips was the guest speaker for Norfolk Juvenile Court’s Adoption Day ceremony where she shared her family’s journey to adoption.

When not practicing law, Kim is involved in the local business community as an Executive Board member of the Norfolk Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber.  As a member of 2017 Class of LEAD Hampton Roads, she toured the Hampton Roads region engaging other sectors of the local economy and connecting with other professionals while brainstorming ways to improve and enrich the region. In 2020, Phillips & Peters was named Small Business of the Year for Norfolk by the Hampton Roads Chamber, and Kim was presented with the Chamber’s Leadership award. Additionally, Kim has volunteered her time on numerous local boards and raised funds for local charitable organizations.  In her downtime, Kim enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Georgia, at the beach.