If you are a legal assistant working in the area of family law, I am sure you will admit your daily life is anything but predictable. Sometimes walking into your office feels like you are entering a minefield! With many years of experience you may be able to foresee some of the explosions, but it is doubtful you will ever be prepared for all of them.
While it is often heartbreaking, and sometimes depressing, working in family law can also be rewarding, for it is an opportunity to help people who are suffering a great deal. It offers an ability to make a difference in the life of someone, especially a child. I am proud to be working for and with legal professionals who have dedicated their lives to helping clients survive crises with as little pain as possible while maintaining their dignity.
It is not unusual when, discovering I work in family law, someone asks me a question involving a family law problem. The national divorce rate is fifty-percent, so it is likely you, or someone close to you, has been divorced, or at least experienced a legal problem involving family law. It is also a sad fact that domestic violence has escalated to nearly epidemic proportions, requiring action on a national level. Additionally, the effort of the federal government to tighten its budget by decreasing welfare expenditures has made the issue of unpaid child support a national crisis. So, is it any wonder family law practitioners have a never-ending, steady stream of potential clients.
No matter what area of law you are working in, we believe this issue of the TPJ offers information that will be helpful to you. Hot topics such as child support collection, adoption, termination, gender bias, and division of retirement benefits are all addressed in this issue. It is our hope this information will be beneficial - in your practice or in your personal life, or both.