How long does it take to become a family lawyer?

 

What is family law?

A family lawyer focuses on finding viable solutions to complex issues relating to legal relationships. These include childhood custody and marriages in black and white.

Due to the sensitivity of the work, family law practice involves working with various parents and children. The family lawyers often work with the elderly when property issues arise between the children.

A family lawyer investigates and solves personal aspects of the client’s life. Therefore, it is one of the most emotive areas of work/law practice.

The family law practice often comprises an elective module at the degree level and occurs in the final year. However, a family lawyer studies different modules. Some law colleges also include sociological modules so that family lawyers can look at society from different perspectives and views. But the family law practice mainly focuses on practical application rather than dealing with the cases emotionally.

What do family attorneys do?

As the term suggests, family law focuses on legal family issues. Family attorneys deal with matters such as child adoption, divorce, separation, child custody, and other kinds of family proceedings.

Some common tasks of family attorneys include drafting wills, custody agreements, prenuptial agreements, property settlement and division documents, etc. However, some family lawyers involve in litigation but it is less prevalent in this field of law.

Family law is a broad practice area and it touches everything- from real estate distribution to taxation. The best way to hire an experienced and well-versed family lawyer is to determine your legal issues and see if that lawyer touches that part of the family unit.

How do you become a family lawyer?

Here are the basic requirements to enter the law field and become a credible family lawyer:

Earn a bachelor’s degree in law

The first and foremost requirement is to go to law college and earn a bachelor’s degree (LLB). However, no single degree or a law program will get you a job. You need a lot of certifications and experience in law firms to land a good job.

Students who aspire to be good family lawyers take interest in major courses such as economics, political sciences, or even business. However, pursuing a technical degree in nursing or engineering will also help you in starting your law career.

Take the right courses to become a family lawyer

After navigating the admission process successfully, you have to take the right courses to shortlist your future career options. Basic courses are compulsory for every law student. But over the duration of four or three years, you would be able to choose subjects that will specifically prepare you for family law.

If your concentration is towards family law, you can earn ten extra credits by taking courses such as Juvenile Law, the law of the elderly, divorce law, domestic violence, etc.

Take internships in law firms

A degree is not the only piece of paper you should have to get a bright future in law. You have to get exposure to practical cases through internships, voluntary work, part-time employment, or fellowships. Moreover, you can get extensive experience through externships and clinics.

As an intern of a law firm, you get to help real clients by digging into vital work. Senior family lawyers might even allow you to file restraining orders against domestic violence abusers. Moreover, you get to work under many experienced family lawyers to get the field experience you need to move forward in your career.

Conclusion

The hands-on experience and experiential training are crucial in becoming a good family lawyer. However, you won’t know if it’s the right field for you until you begin interacting with real clients with legal family issues.