Family attorney jobs are basically an attorney who takes care of family issues. From child custody to emancipation, a family lawyer will handle a wide array of matters. Since each family is unique, so are their problems. There are many times that settlements can be reached by your lawyer. This eliminates the need for trials.
How Much Do Family Law Attorneys Make?
You might be surprised to know that family law is one of the least paying jobs in the field of law. Running a close second are estates and trusts. Many factors will determine the pay rate for the profession, including the amount of experience, the geographic area, and whether you work solo or with a law firm.
Normally, lawyers working solo earn less than if they worked for a corporation. The highest pay for a lawyer starting out is usually earned by those working for a law firm. The midpoint salary for lawyers is between $70,000 and $145,000. This can be affected by many things including the area of the country in which you reside and the specialty you choose.
As is expected, attorneys employed by government organizations are paid more, especially if the branch of the government if federal. Organizations of public interest also pay well depending upon how popular an organization might be.
What are the Requirements for Becoming a Family Lawyer?
Requirements for a family lawyer are basically the same as for any type of lawyer. The student will have 4 years of college, 3 years of law school, and must pass a bar exam. Although the prerequisites for lawyers may vary from state to state the basic 7 years is going to be at least what it takes to become a lawyer. A bachelor’s degree is required for admission to law school. As you can see the requirements are not unattainable nor are they simple.
The first year or so of law school is typically the time to study the basics of law, in order to have a handle on issues such as contracts, the procedure for handling civil matters, and how to write all legal papers for submission to the courts. After this time, the law student can choose what type of law in which he wants to specialize.
The lawyer who wants to specialize in a certain aspect of the law may be required to have an advanced law degree. Sometimes joint degrees are desired and this may require further education. The lawyer will not be finished with education as soon as they pass the bar exam. There are 43 states that require attorneys to continue their education in an effort to keep up with any changes that have been made. This is not an option. It is required.
The need for lawyers is expected to grow, although the main increase will be in lawyers who work for a company rather than themselves.
What Are the Responsibilities of a Family Lawyer?
Some family lawyers specialize only in certain aspects of the law such as divorce. The different aspects of the law that family attorney jobs encompass can vary according to the areas of law they may want to handle. A few of the types of legal matters they handle may include:
- Child custody
- Premarital planning
- Child support
- Alimony
- Property distribution
- Visitation
- Separation agreements
Although these are just a few of the areas of family law, the need for family attorney jobs remains high. When deciding upon family attorney jobs as a profession, many law students take into account what interests them. The director of student life counseling at Harvard Law School, Mark L. Byers tells graduates to contemplate carefully their choice of the area of law they choose. He said, ''They need to really try to figure out their core values and decide whether they still match those in the profession.''
State of the Law Profession
Stanford University dean, Larry Kramer says the law profession has changed dramatically in the last few years. It still looks the same, but the lawyers that work for firms, of which the firms are partnerships, employ many associates, and their work is billed on an hourly basis. Instead of the typical partner/associate of the past, large firms now employ thousands of lawyers in offices world-wide. The majority of legal work has changed to become more devoted to one particular field of the law and the hourly billing for this work has gone up dramatically.
Conclusion:
The law is still a very good profession to choose when deciding upon your future. The satisfaction of helping people is entirely your call. This will depend upon the area of practice you choose. Family attorney jobs are still some of the most satisfying when it comes to knowing that you may make a difference in many lives. If you are only considering becoming a lawyer for the financial aspect, you can make very good money. However, the type of law you specialize in should reflect in your core values and life goals.
