I have a situation with someone defaming my character and causing extreme emotional distress. what type of lawyer do I need?

Hi Jennifer. I'll just make a couple of quick points since no one has responded yet. First, to answer your question most directly, the type of lawyer you need if someone is defaming your character is a lawyer with experience handling libel, slander, and defamation claims. You're already here on Lawyers.com, so you're in the right place. I also need to tell you, however, that if the source of the defamation is a "slanderous bill of particulars," your remedies are most likely limited to defending yourself in court and (hopefully) winning the case. Statements made in court proceedings are generally immune from defamation suits -- see https://www.virginiadefamationlawyer.com/2014/01/absolute-judicial-privilege-extends-outside-the-courtroom.html for a short article I wrote on this topic not long ago. So the type of lawyer you really should be looking for is one who specializes in the area of law upon which the bill of particulars is based. Best of luck to you.