Family Law Paralegal Career Description
Family law paralegals assist attorneys with numerous domestic matters to include divorce, child support and custody, adoption, legitimation and other issues concerning families and the law. Also called legal assistants or domestic relations paralegals, individuals in this career will spend a great deal of time meeting with clients to gather information, drafting legal documents and preparing cases for mediation and trial. As a rule, most of the work they do will be focused on divorce cases.
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Function
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A family law paralegal often spends more time in contact with the client than the attorney who represents the client. A legal assistant who focuses in this specialty area functions as an extension of the attorney he serves and will work closely with the client to gather the evidence and documentation necessary to build and support a case.
Skills
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A domestic relations paralegal should be organized, detail-oriented, level-headed and skilled at ushering people through stressful and painful times. Phone, computer and document preparation skills are also key. Additionally, a family law legal assistant should be well versed in the particular domestic laws and procedures of the state where she practices.
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Education
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No state in the country requires a family law paralegal to have any specific type of education or training. That said, further education in the field usually leads to more interesting and lucrative jobs. A college education and a paralegal certificate with a focus in domestic relations are a good start for anyone in the industry. Continuing legal education in matters such as child support calculation, various forms of alternative dispute resolution (like mediation and arbitration) and preparation of specific legal forms for use in various jurisdictions is also key.
Technology
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Like all other areas of law in the past several decades, domestic relations matters have become increasingly focused on technology. Most states have specific software that must be used to prepare child support petitions and schedules. Much of the management of the financial aspects of domestic relations cases is done online with the judge, attorneys, mediators and parties accessing, reviewing and revising certain paperwork entirely online. A family law paralegal must be proficient in this type of technology.
Warnings
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Be careful if you decide to work directly with the public as a family law paralegal. For years, paralegals across the country have helped countless families obtain simple, low-cost divorces by preparing the paperwork for them and walking them through the process. Unfortunately, doing this unless you are working under the umbrella of an attorney is illegal in every state except for two--Arizona and California.
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References
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