2274 Bryan Street Burlington, North Carolina

Mon-Sat 8.00-18.00 Sunday CLOSED

What is Involved When Studying to Become a Family Law Lawyer

Ridoutly on Law  > Blogging, Family, General >  What is Involved When Studying to Become a Family Law Lawyer
a man talking to a lawyer
0 Comments

There are many people out there who are at the stage in their lives where they are looking to start their first career or are looking to change their careers. Whatever position someone may be in, it is always a good idea to do as much research as possible. This is especially the case when many years of study and financial investment is involved.

The good news is that with easy access to the internet, people are able to easily research their chosen field to understand it a little bit more. When people put aside the time to do this, they may realise that they are passionate about this field or that it may not be the best fit for them. A common field that people often consider is practicing as an attorney.

There are many reasons why people find themselves wanting to enter this field, more specifically family law. Some will have gone through a legal matter themselves and will have come out the experience wanting to pursue this profession. Others will want to make sure that each and every person out there has a fair chance. Whatever the reason may be, it is important that people entirely understand what they are getting themselves into and so this article will explore what is involved when studying to become a family law lawyer.

 

What types of matters will a family law lawyer deal with?

One of the first things that are important to know is the types of matters that a family law lawyer will usually deal with. When people understand the types of cases that they will likely be taking on in the future, they are able to make an educated decision on whether that is the right field for them. In this type of field, they are a wide variety of matters that could be handled.

One of the most common matters will be divorce, separation, and annulment. The odds are unfortunately against couples in this day and age and the chances are that most people will end at least one marriage in their lifetime. As this is the case, this is a common situation that professionals will come across.

child trying to reconcile his parents by handshaking

 

In addition to this, attorneys will often deal with child custody matters as well as adoption matters. They can also help with pre and post nuptial agreements as well as domestic violence issues.

 

What kind of education is involved when studying to become a family law lawyer?

What some people may or may not be aware of is the fact that there are many years of education required to work in this field. The amount of time that this will take will depend on if someone is studying full time or part time and if they are studying a single degree or a double degree. Whatever the case may be, people will need to start by studying an undergraduate degree.

Once students have completed an adequate undergraduate degree they are then able to complete practical training. This means that people will get to be supervised by a family law lawyer with at least three years of experience. Once this has been completed, students can apply to the board to be admitted.

Once someone has completed 18-24 months of supervised practice and have then been accepted to the board, they can then decide if they would like to continue working as an attorney or if they would like to continue training to be a barrister. Some people will have this in mind but will feel burned out by studying when they get to this point and so would much rather continue working.

 

What does a typical day look like for a family law lawyer?

A common misconception out there is that the life of a family law lawyer is extremely exciting. While there can be meaningful and challenging cases, most of the time professionals will simply be dealing with mundane tasks. As this is the case, it is important that people understand what a typical day looks like for a family law lawyer.

Professionals are likely to attend meetings with their clients but this may not make up the bulk of their day. They will likely spend a lot of time on paperwork as well as filing applications with the court. They also spend a great deal of time on drafting legal documents.

Other tasks may involve meeting with barristers, attending court hearings, negotiating with the opposition, investigating, gathering evidence, as well as much more.

In conclusion, there are many benefits to seeking this kind of profession but as there is so much hard work that must go into the studies it is important that people factor this in before making a final decision. This way, they are much more likely to enjoy their chosen profession.