Family Law Attorney
Who are the family law attorneys and what role do they play? It is high time that you familiarize yourself with these law practitioners since it is becoming hard to develop strong families each and every day.
Family laws attorneys specialize in a branch of law that deals with matters such as domestic relations, child adoption property settlement, divorces, child support, and visitation and child abuse among others. It is also referred to as matrimonial law. It has been observed that the most crowded court dockets are ones that are related to these matters. An attorney that handles such cases is referred to as family law attorney or in other terms a family lawyer.
However, the two main issues that the attorney assists in settling are the divorces and legal separations. In these circumstances, the attorney is given mandate by the law to divide the marital property and advocate the amount that should be paid for the upkeep of the children. The attorney will also settle any dispute involving child custody and give visitation rights. If the attorney is unable to resolve the matter, the couples can take the matter in a court of law and the judge will give the final order.
The other category of cases that the attorney handles is adoption. In case a family wants to adopt a child, the attorney will take them through all the necessary steps to make the adoption legal. The laws are very different in every jurisdiction regarding the age of the child. In most of the cases, the natural parent of the child will retain some parental rights.
The other responsibility of the family attorney is creating documents for the family that may prevent any future predictable issues. One of these important documents is the prenuptial agreements on how the family assets will be shared in case the couple was to divorce. Not only do these agreements state how the assets need to be shared but also state the child visitation, custodian and support rights, and obligations. If the attorney has the expertise, he may set up trust funds in the name of the child. The family attorney may also be in a position to handle cases in some situations. In the school of law, the attorney may specialize in either domestic violence or juvenile law.
A family law attorney may either work in a firm or an open private office. You will need to attend a school of law if you want to pursue a career in this docket. You also need to pass some exams for you to be eligible of becoming a practicing attorney. You are required to have a high school diploma before being allowed to enroll in the school of law or its equivalence if accepted. You will need to obtain a Bachelor’s degree at the college but you will need to take a carrier related to law or political science. For you to gain experience and familiarize yourself with this career, you can work as a clerk or interim in any law firm that specializes in family matters.