This is a branch of law that deals with domestic relations and family matters such as marriage, adoption, child abuse, child abduction, property settlements, child support and visitation, and more. It is also known as matrimonial law. In many jurisdictions, the family courts are the ones with the most crowded court files. The attorney who handles these types of cases is called a family law attorney or attorney. The two main issues this attorney would handle are legal separations and divorce. During these matters, the attorney would attempt to dive into marital assets, advocate for the amount to be paid for alimony and child support, resolve child custody issues, and establish visitation rights. In divorce and separation cases, each party will have their own family attorney. If an agreement cannot be reached for any issues, they could be taken to court and the judge would usually make the final order on the issues.
Adoption is another field handled by a family law attorney. The attorney will help the couple through the many steps that must be taken to make the adoption legal. In each jurisdiction, the laws are different and can vary depending on the age of the child. In some places, birth parents will always retain some rights, while in other jurisdictions all of their legal parental rights have been relinquished altogether.
Another duty a family law attorney performs is creating documents to help prevent foreseeable future problems. One example is creating a prenuptial agreement that will set out how assets would be divided if the couple were to divorce. It could also be a postnuptial agreement that not only states how assets will be divided, but also how visitation, custody, and child support will be arranged. They can also set up a trust fund in the name of children or a spouse if they have that level of experience. In some situations, a family law attorney may have to handle criminal matters. The attorney might specialize in specific areas such as domestic violence or juvenile law.
A family law attorney can work at a law firm or open their own offices. To become a lawyer, you will need to attend law school and then pass an exam to become a practicing lawyer. Before entering law school, she will need to have a high school diploma or its equivalent, as long as it is an accepted jurisdiction. While in college, you should earn a bachelor’s degree in any major, but it’s helpful to prepare for a law career if it’s a business, law-related, or political science major. To help gain some experience, work as a clerk or intern at a law firm that specializes in family law.