How Do You Become a Family Lawyer?

Family lawyers deal with a variety of cases affecting families and minors. They handle matters including divorce, child custody and domestic violence. Family law is a fascinating field that requires compassion and problem-solving skills. The path to becoming a family law attorney isn't easy, but it can be a rewarding career.

Family lawyer schooling

To become a family lawyer, you'll need to earn a bachelor's degree, then a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree. This typically takes seven years of schooling — four years in an undergraduate program and three years in law school.

Undergraduate college

There isn't a specific undergraduate degree you need to become a family lawyer.

Choose a major you're passionate about and you can excel in; you'll need at least a 3.5 GPA to get into law school. Political science, business and psychology are a few majors that can help you establish a solid foundation for a career in family law.

Law school

After earning your bachelor's, you can apply to law school. It's recommended you take the required Law School Admission Test by the summer or fall before applying. In addition to a passing grade, you'll need letters of recommendation and a personal statement at a minimum.

In the first year of law school, you will learn about law and law practice in general. After your first year, you can take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination. Some jurisdictions require you to pass it before you take the bar exam (more below).

Your second and third years, you can choose to take family law classes. Specialized courses for certain areas of family law (e.g., adoption) are often offered. Take time to network and find mentors. Gain experience in family law through jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities. You might need proof of paid and volunteer work (called law-related employment affidavits) for bar admission.

You'll receive a JD if you fulfill your family law degree requirements.

Bar examination

To become a practicing lawyer, you must apply for bar admission and pass the bar exam. There's a Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and a state bar exam, which is essentially the UBE with state-specific essay questions.

Passing the state bar exam allows you to practice in that state. Passing the UBE allows you to practice law across all states that have adopted it. However, UBE scores expire. You'll need to retake the exam after your state's UBE score expiration date.

If you pass the bar, you'll get a license to practice law and can begin applying for positions at law firms, family law clinics, etc. Most states require continuing legal education courses to maintain bar membership.

What family lawyers do on a daily basis

Your daily tasks will vary once you become a family lawyer. You might:

• Interview potential clients
• Advise current clients
• Respond to emails
• Prepare and file motions and other paperwork
• Discuss settlement options with opposing counsel
• Depose witnesses in office
• Conduct discovery for ongoing cases
• Prepare legal binders (e.g., custody documentation) for court
• Prepare your clients and witnesses to testify
• Argue cases in court (perhaps virtually)

Tasks can depend on your specialty. For example:

• Child custody attorneys may create parenting plan proposals for mediation.
• Adoption attorneys may prepare clients for home studies by social workers.
• Domestic violence attorneys may review their client's medical records.

Family lawyer average salary

Family lawyer annual salaries can start at $40,000 and go beyond $200,000. The higher earners are those who've been in the field for some time.

Salaries vary based on experience, clientele and whether you decide to specialize in low- or high-conflict cases. If you start your own practice, you will set your own fees, and you may even get to if you work for an existing firm.

Offering additional services could help you earn more. For example, getting collaborative divorce training or becoming a divorce mediator can help you attract clients who don't want to litigate.

Keys to success in family law

Success in family law requires knowing the law and knowing people. Your clients will often be going through the most emotionally taxing period of their lives. You'll have to respect and handle their emotions while preparing a case based on facts.

The following are just a few traits of those who find success after they become a family law attorney.

• Empathy: Leveling with your clients on a human level will make it easier to get the information you need to build their cases. Lead your clients in the right direction without seeming condescending or insensitive.
• Creativity: Complex family law situations require creative solutions that address your clients' needs — and the other party's needs if you're pursuing a settlement. Creativity can also help you when preparing a case presentation.
• Personableness: Family law attorneys need interpersonal skills to attract clients and build rapport with other legal professionals. Gaining a reputation for affability can help your business and success in court.
• Tenacity: Setbacks are expected in contentious cases. Searching for new leads and evidence to refresh your client's case is tough but vital to success in court.

If becoming a family lawyer doesn't suit you, there are adjacent roles that would still allow you to help families. You might become a divorce coach, for example — or, if you're in the U.K., become a McKenzie friend.

Technology for family lawyers

There's a lot of family law software that can aid you once you begin practicing.

Many child custody lawyers rely on Custody X Change's professional software for their daily practice.

• It helps you make visual custody schedules for clients to compare.
• It lets you calculate scheduled and actual parenting time.
• It cuts the time needed to create a thorough parenting plan.

If you connect with your clients, you'll also be able to guide them as they gather custody documentation. For instance, you'll be able to edit their journal entries, categorize their expenses, and print out messages they've exchanged with their co-parent.

Custody X Change makes it easier to acclimate to a career as a child custody lawyer.