Family Lawyer Jobs

A family lawyer’s job is very common in the legal world. This article discusses the jobs that lawyers assume within the practice of family law. The article focuses on three different roles: the role of an entry level lawyer practicing family law, the role of a partner in a law firm, and the role of a family law attorney who handles a client’s court proceedings.

The family law attorney job description for an entry-level family law attorney defines the professional activities of an attorney who recently finished law school, and who is employed by a small law office, a large law firm, or a corporation that deals with family law. In this role, the new family law attorney executes tasks suitable to an entry level lawyer. These tasks include writing legal briefs and memos under the supervision of more senior attorneys. Additionally, the entry level lawyer might also supervise the work of support staff, which includes paralegals, secretaries, interns and other office staff. In this position the recently graduated law student is tested in their first professional legal role in a law office or business setting. Initially, this person might not earn a large attorney salary due to their limited experience.  The new attorney will first need to gain experience and pass the state bar exam to earn a higher family law attorney salary.

Another family law attorney job description is that of an owner and/or a partner of a family law practice. In this role, the owner and/or partner is directly and personally liable for the operation of the law office. In a law firm with multiple partners, they all share in the liability. The family lawyer’s job entails making sure all staff under his or her supervision are acting in a responsible and professional manner. He or she ensures that staff follows the law, maintains attorney client privilege, performs their work to defined expectations, and treats clients well. He or she will also make sure that the law is being followed and that their clients are being treated fairly and with respect. Depending on the success or the challenges a law office faces, the owner and/or partner will earn the highest family law attorney salary of all the employees. If there are multiple partners in the firm, a partnership agreement defines what percentage of the profits that each partner receives. This is done in order to make sure everyone agrees to the terms at the time the business is established. 

A further family law attorney job description is for the lawyer, who actively deals with clients and the court system. In this role the lawyer is legally licensed to practice law in a specific state. As a licensed attorney, he or she may provide legal advice to anyone regarding a divorce, a pre-nuptial agreement, a cohabitation agreement, child custody, or a child visitation agreement. The lawyer consults with his or her clients on questions they have regarding specific family law issues, and provides guidance and recommendations within the framework of the law. Additionally, family law attorneys advocate and argue on behalf of their clients during court hearings, write legal briefs, and request motions and orders from the courts for their client. The lawyer works with his or her client to understand their client’s situation and to define the best legal options available for the client.

When reviewing these three different job descriptions of family lawyer’s job, it is very clear that each position has different roles and responsibilities with each being equally important. Knowing the differences and the responsibilities will help to determine which one is best for you.