Family Law - A Broad Legal Field

You may wonder why you would ever have the need to call a family law attorney. Frankly, many people have wondered the same thing, and then found themselves in a lawyer’s office shortly after they couldn’t come up with an answer. The fact is that these types of lawyers candle an enormous range of cases and situations. You may even be surprised to learn that things you did in the past could have been handled much better with the assistance of legal counsel. If you think the field begins and end with divorces, here are some of the issues these lawyers deal with and why people continue to seek them out.

First, it can’t be denied that family law often centers around the aspects of divorce. These aspects are as wide and varying as the field itself and it doesn’t hurt to brush up on your knowledge of the field even if you aren’t anywhere near considering a divorce. If you have children and your family has a significant amount of money (and this doesn’t need to mean “rich”, by any means), the need to look into your options is even greater. It’s a wonderful notion that your marriage will never break up and you’ll never be in a situation that calls for a lawyer. And maybe this will be the case. But plenty of couples have found themselves in divorce court when just a few years ago it would have seemed unthinkable. Looking into what you would do if such a thing happened does not make you disloyal, but merely practical.

Of course, more and more people are choosing not to get married these days. With rising divorce rates, less emphasis on religious beliefs, and the absence of same-sex marriage licenses in many states, civil partnerships are becoming more popular than ever. Some of these are taken through legal channels, while others simply consist of two people choosing to live together in what the old folks would call “sin”. Even in these civil partnerships, however, family law comes into play. If you are wondering what your rights are and what might happen to each of you, financially, should there come a split, you may want to talk to a good lawyer and find out.

Family law attorneys are also often involved in cases that center around domestic violence. The broad heading of domestic violence can take many forms. Child abuse, battery, verbal abuse, and so on. Some of these may not be cases you can win in a criminal court, so you have to resort to other avenues when it comes to keeping yourself and your family safe from harm. A lawyer can not only help you when it comes to legal issues, but they will probably be able to recommend the best course of action and can put you in touch with organizations intended to help women and children escape a dangerous situation.