Explore how family law is applied within these practice contexts.
Advising
- Plan how to protect assets before disputes arise through pre-nuptial and community property agreements
- Advise clients at all stages of dispute processes
- Pursue collaborative law approaches resolving parties’ disputes outside of court
Transactions
- Facilitate adoptions and acknowledgments of paternity, and make surrogacy arrangements
- Negotiate and draft documents relating to parenting and financial distributions on marriage dissolution, including pre-nuptial, separation, parenting plans, community property agreements and division of retirement benefits, and surrogacy and agreements related to assisted reproduction.
Disputes
- File or defend lawsuits over divorce or domestic partnerships, including parenting plans/child custody and property division; domestic violence protection orders, dependency, emancipation of minors; and paternity
- Discover financial and child welfare information
- Negotiate agreements
- Engage in mediation
- Draft and argue motions
- Try lawsuits
Public Policy
Family lawyers affect contested public policies such as how to define a family,
protect the best interests of children, ensure fairness of child support
obligations, and increase access to legal representation. They:
- Advocate for judicial decisions in individual cases or “impact litigation”
- Get involved with bar association sections and national specialty organizations
- Lobby the legislature