People typically associate family law with divorce proceedings, but that is only part of its scope. Paralegals and legal assistants play key roles within any family law firm.
Family Law Paralegals work under the direction of an attorney and assist with client files. Although they cannot give legal advice or set fees directly, they still take on more advanced responsibilities.
Education and Training
Family law paralegal is an ideal career option for individuals who enjoy working with laws and regulations related to domestic relationships such as marriage, children or parenthood. To pursue this role, the first step should be identifying an ideal paralegal program and enrolling. There are many online options available allowing busy students to complete their degree requirements on their own timetables.
High school graduates generally meet the qualifications to become paralegals; however, some community colleges and four-year universities also provide bachelor’s degrees in legal studies. If pursuing family law paralegalism as their intended profession, students should look for schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) that can offer them the training and knowledge needed for success within this field.
Once a graduate from an ABA-approved paralegal program has gained employment as a family law paralegal, their goal should be to find employment at law firms specializing in this area or for government entities that deal with family matters (for instance child protective services departments or social service agencies). Large corporations or businesses with legal departments often employ paralegals specifically dedicated to family matters.
As a paralegal in family law, family law paralegals work closely with attorneys in gathering information and documenting relevant cases pertaining to divorces, custody disputes, adoptions and related matters. Their role requires patience and understanding as many of these cases can become emotionally charged due to difficult discussions about child support payments, property division and spousal support payments between parents.
As well as drafting legal documents and managing case files, family law paralegals must also be familiar with the different forms of petitions commonly filed in family law matters – including divorce petitions, child custody petitions, restraining orders, domestic violence claims, paternity determinations and guardianships.
Family law paralegals also play an integral role in discovery, which involves gathering any official documents from both parties involved in a case. This may include medical records, financial data, employment histories and any other valuable pieces of information which may aid in its outcome.
Case Management
Family Law encompasses numerous issues. Divorce is certainly part of it, but other components include child custody, parental rights, adoption, guardianship orders and paternity determinations – all areas in which paralegals can provide invaluable support to attorneys in family related legal proceedings.
Case management is essential in any paralegal role, and particularly important when working as a family law paralegal. This involves preparing legal documents on time for deadlines while remaining available to clients by keeping an open channel of communication open with them – something which may prove challenging when clients are dealing with emotionally charged issues that leave them expressing themselves unwisely or being unable to think clearly.
Family law paralegals provide not only legal documents and assistance to their clients, but must also regularly update them on each case – this may involve sending emails, faxes or phone calls directly to clients and courts as necessary. It’s essential for paralegals to keep up-to-date with each case since changes in court schedules, new information needing filing or any significant developments could affect it significantly.
As such, a paralegal must possess excellent organizational skills and be capable of handling multiple tasks at the same time – in some instances even up to 10 cases at once!
Family law paralegals need to possess both the knowledge and ability to comprehend complex laws and processes as well as explain them to clients in a simple manner – this is particularly pertinent when handling financial documents like tax returns, bank statements and pay stubs.
As a paralegal, you’ll work alongside attorneys to resolve each case as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Plus, as paralegal hourly rates differ significantly from attorney hourly rates, saving clients substantial sums of money over time.
Client Contact
Clients of family law attorneys often communicate with their paralegal, whether it’s scheduling an appointment with their lawyer or seeking general information regarding their case. Paralegals in family law must therefore be comfortable handling confidential data as well as providing reliable information to clients about their cases.
Family law paralegals perform numerous routine tasks for clients and attorneys, such as helping fill out forms. They might also prepare financial disclosures, draft pleadings and statements, provide general legal research assistance as required and conduct any required interviews or investigations.
Family law paralegals must collect complete information from witnesses who could potentially testify in their case, including asking open-ended questions to ensure they provide complete answers about their relationships to the case, current occupation and any relevant details.
Family law paralegals may also be required to procure documents from government agencies on behalf of their client, such as background checks, health records and employment histories. After reviewing all information received, it must also be decided what parts should remain confidential while others can be shared with opposing parties.
Family law paralegals frequently work for nonprofit organizations that offer low-cost or free legal services to those unable to afford private representation, so they must be adept at dealing with sensitive data while meeting tight deadlines for document preparation.
Document Preparation
Family law paralegals specialize in cases relating to divorce, child custody disputes, tax and finance laws, adoption proceedings, domestic violence issues and other legal matters that impact families. Their work can typically be found within law firms that specialize in this area; however they may also work at government agencies responsible for these issues.
As a paralegal, success requires strong written and verbal communication skills to thrive in this career path. Communication between clients, attorneys, law enforcement officials and paralegals is also a large component of their duties; along with time spent on the phone booking appointments and filing paperwork. Therefore if you do not enjoy talking on the phone or taking detailed notes this might not be the right career choice for you.
Family law paralegals require another important skill: understanding the emotional nuances of cases they’re working on. This is because many cases they handle involve sensitive family matters that can create emotional stress for everyone involved. Therefore, their duty as professionals lies in maintaining professional and emotional distance while offering help and support where required.
As part of any profession that deals with legal matters, family law paralegals will need to file various documents with the courts as part of the process. Their role includes filing legal documents such as motions, statements, pleadings and judgments as quickly and accurately as possible.
Family law paralegals perform another essential service by creating financial documents for their clients. This may include invoices, credit card authorization forms and any other financial documents essential to running successful businesses in this industry. Family law firms rely heavily on accepting credit and debit payments from clients for services rendered, so accepting both is of vital importance in fulfilling this role. Due to being part of a high-risk industry with frequent chargebacks, banks may not approve merchant accounts for these businesses. With help from an established high-risk merchant processor, these businesses can still get the processing they require in order to operate smoothly.