Family Law Paralegal Duties And Careers
If a focus on family is your mission, your calling might be family law.
Working in family law takes patience and understanding since many clients will be upset about child support, custody, division of assets, and related problems.
A family law paralegal degree program can help prepare you for tense situations and other duties you’ll undertake in your career. Find out about this growing career.
Job Duties of a Family Law Paralegal
A family law paralegal’s job goes well beyond filing and paperwork. While they are prohibited from giving legal advice or setting fees, they are taking on more advanced responsibilities.
The first step is client intake in which paralegals talk with the potential client and set up an appointment with the attorney. After the attorney is hired, the paralegal gets to work with the following responsibilities:
- Preparing petitions
- Interacting with clients
- Investigating income, lifestyles, and other factors
- Compiling witnesses
- Research and legal writing
The size of the law firm you work for will also impact your workload and responsibilities. Paralegals in small offices usually have a wider range of tasks than those in a larger firm.
Family Law Education
Your chances of getting hired as a family law paralegal are best if you earn either a certificate in paralegal studies or an associate degree in paralegal studies.
Neither is required to enter the field, but a paralegal certificate or degree program can help make you a more desirable job candidate, especially as the market for family law paralegals gets more competitive.
Further schooling in the area of family law can also be obtained in courses focusing on this specialty.
Salary and Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics, the median national annual salary for paralegals and legal assistants is $60,970. It’s not uncommon for paralegals to earn a larger paycheck if they work at a large law firm or in a big city.
Paralegals are in high demand as more attorneys streamline their budgets. Larger companies are also moving in the direction of using in-house legal teams. With these developments, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth at 4.2% through 2032, which is much faster than average for all occupations.