Become a Divorce Lawyer

Divorce lawyers practice in the district and family courts assisting clients with divorce, custody, child support, and all other facets of family and domestic law. A skilled divorce lawyer can help ease the tensions of a dissolving marriage while making sure his client receives his or her fair share of the marital assets and that the best interests of the children are accounted for.

Steps

Preparing for Your Legal Career

  1. Pursue a college degree. When you go to law school, you are earning a graduate degree. In order to apply and attend law school, you must first earn a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college.
    • Family law is governed by state law and procedures. To get the best preparation for a career as a divorce lawyer, you should strongly consider getting your undergraduate degree and a law degree in the state where you want to practice.
    • Many colleges also have a law school. The law school may have streamlined or preferential application procedures if you receive your degree from the affiliated undergraduate institution.
  2. Choose your undergraduate field of study. The American Bar Association does not endorse any particular coursework for entry into law school.[1] A broad-based liberal arts degree with coursework in history, psychology, art, literature, and political science will give you the analytical skills needed to succeed in law school. Do not feel pressured into a defined "pre-law" or criminal justice track.[2]
    • Your undergraduate grade point average (GPA) is one of the critical factors in law school acceptance. Choose a major that you will excel in and that will give you the base you need to thrive in the grueling law school environment.
    • If you want to attend the law school associated with your college, meet with an admissions officer as soon as you can, no later than your junior year. The two schools may have streamlined procedures to assist you in matriculating from undergraduate to graduate school.
  3. Take the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT). Law schools usually start first-year, better known as 1L, classes in the fall semester or quarter. In order to start at that time, you need to take the LSAT no later than December of the previous year. Consider taking it even earlier, in June before your senior year. This either gets the test out of the way or gives you the opportunity to retake the test in December.[3] Knowing your LSAT score helps you narrow down your selection of potential law schools.
    • The registration deadline for the December tests is in early October. The deadline for the June test is in early May.[4]
    • The basic fee for the LSAT is $175 to take the test and $30 for each law school you want the test results submitted to.[5] If you are low income, you may be able to qualify for a fee waiver. You will be required to submit tax forms and other documentation to prove your indigency.[6] You must apply for a waiver at least six weeks before the LSAT registration deadline.
    • Some law schools will waive admission application fees, usually $20 to $50, if you are granted an LSAT fee waiver.
    • The LSAT does not test legal concepts. Instead, it tests basic skills that have been shown to be valuable in successfully completing law school. The sections include reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logic.[7]
    • The LSAT testing authority has free online study materials.[8] You can also use commercial study guides or take commercial prep courses, both online and in person.
  4. Apply to law school. There are 200+ law schools in the United States that are accredited by the American Bar Association. Attending any one of these schools will qualify you to take the bar exam in the state where you want to practice.[9]
    • Alabama, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, West Virginia, and Tennessee allow graduates of law schools that are ABA non-accredited to take the state bar exam. The schools are approved by state standards, but do not meet the ABA standards.[10][11]
    • The disadvantage of these schools is that you will likely only be able to practice in that state and that may limit your future employment opportunities. The advantage may be lower cost and more flexible class schedules.[12]

Attending Law School

  1. Complete your first year of law school. Regardless of your career goals, the first year of law school is scripted for you. You will take a prescribed set of classes with your section. Those classes will include, at minimum, constitutional law, contracts, property, torts, civil procedure, legal research, and criminal law. These classes are the backbone of your legal education. Your first-year grades also determine if you will be invited to join the law review.
  2. Focus your interests in your second year of law school. In your second and third years of law school, you will be able to take elective courses. As a budding divorce lawyer, you will have the option to take classes in family law, women and the law, and children's law. As many family lawyers are solo practitioners, you should also consider taking a course on law office management.[13]
    • Depending on your school, as a 2L you should be eligible to start working in the law school clinics. If your school doesn't have one on family law, participate in any program that gives you heavy client contact such as elder law. Good people skills and ability to interview clients is critical to success as a family lawyer.
    • If your school offers courses in mediation, or even better, a certificate in mediation or Alternate Dispute Resolution, strongly consider enrolling.[14] As more and more courts are referring contested divorces to mediation, this is a good qualification to have. It can boost your private practice or make you more attractive to a law firm.
  3. Seek out an internship. The summer after your second year is prime time for a summer internship with a local law firm. Start applying during the academic year and attend any job fairs sponsored by your school. Don't limit yourself to law firms, apply to solo practitioners and public-interest agencies that work with families and children. With hard work and luck, an internship might turn into a part-time job during your third year or a job offer after graduation.
  4. Register for the bar exam. As early as your first year and no later than the beginning of your third year, you will register to take the bar exam in the state where you want to practice. If you are taking the exam in the state where you are attending law school, follow the local procedures. Otherwise, each state has its own deadline. Some deadlines are as early as January of your final year, most are in February or March for the June exam.[15]
    • All states have a generous limit of how many times you can take the bar exam, but you have to pay the fee each time. Only register if you are on track to successfully complete your final semester and graduate on time.
    • Exam fees vary from discounted student rates of less than $100 to a high of over $1,000. Check your state requirements and plan for the exam fees early.[16] If you have a job offer, ask your prospective employer if they provide any assistance.
    • Application to the bar is a complex procedure including a background check, fingerprints, and extensive references.

Getting Licensed to Practice Law

  1. Take the bar exam. The exam is offered twice per year, in February and June. Typically, you take the exam closest to your graduation date. Depending on your state, the bar exam is a grueling two to three-day event including a combination of multiple choice and essay examinations.[17]
    • The Multi-State Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a half-day test taken separately for the bar. Typically, you can take the MPRE in the state where you attend law school and it will transfer to other jurisdictions.
    • The Multi-State Bar Exam is a set of standardized multiple choice questions on your core subjects of contracts, torts, property, constitutional law, and civil procedure. It is given as part of the overall bar exam and must be taken in the state where you want to practice.
    • All states have an essay examination. Some states use the Multi-State Essay Examination (MEE), and some jurisdictions draft their own.
    • The final section, used in the majority of states if the Multi-State Performance Test (MPT). This is a test for the practical application of legal theory. You are given a fact pattern and must draw up a strategy for litigating the case.
  2. Receive your bar exam results. Approximately 12 weeks after the bar exam, the results will be released. You can elect to receive them through the online account you set up as part of your bar registration or by mail. They are also usually posted at the law school.
  3. Take the new attorney oath. After the bar exam results are posted, there will be a formal swearing in ceremony. However, typically, you can be sworn in by any Judge or other official who can administer an oath.

Finding A Job

  1. Take part in informational interviews. During informational interviews, you will have an opportunity to have a conversation with someone in the divorce law field who will hopefully be able to give you information and advice.[18] To conduct an effective informational interview:
    • Find people to interview. Call, email, or send letters to people in the family law field that interest you.[19] When you do so, tell them a bit about yourself and why you are contacting them.[20] Also, prepare a number of open-ended questions to ask the person as well.[21] When you talk to them, ask them about a convenient time to meet them in-person or to have a conversation over the phone.[22]
    • Conduct the informational interview. When it is time to conduct the informational interview, dress professionally and be prepared.[23] Tell the person about yourself and why you are conducting the interview.[24] Ask them questions regarding their career path and how you might be able to get started.[25] Show genuine interest and take notes if you need to.[26]
    • Follow-up. Once the interview is complete, follow-up and thank the person for their time.[27] Also, follow-up with any contacts given to you during the informational interview.[28]
  2. Apply to open positions. As a new attorney, some of the most reliable places to find legal jobs is on the internet. The best job website are often a part of bar associations. For this reason, become a member of your local county, city, and state bar association. Also, become a member of the American Bar Association. All of these associations often have job postings on their websites.
    • Once you find a job you are interested in, follow the job posting directions in order to apply. Generally, you will be required to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements.
  3. Work out an arrangement to rent office space. Talk to divorce attorneys in your geographical location and discuss the possibility of renting office space from them. As a part of these discussions, be willing to take the attorney's overflow caseload, be able to make court appearances for them, and pay them a referral fee for cases you get paid for.
    • These types of arrangements are common and can often be mutually beneficial. While you get a place to work and some initial cases, the other attorney gets to save time by passing on unwanted cases.
  4. Join family law legal associations. Similar to joining bar associations, search out local family law or divorce law associations and join them. Often, your local bar chapter will have a family law and/or divorce law section.
    • After joining, become a regular at their events and network with the other attorneys that attend.
  5. Explore family law niches. Another way to break into the divorce law market is to specialize. When you specialize, you become an expert in one particular area of divorce law and you know it so well, people hire you for your services. For example, some divorce lawyers only represent the female or the male in divorce proceedings. Also, consider specializing in gay marriage divorces considering the recent changes in marriage law.

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law.html
  2. ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2012/10/29/future-law-students-should-avoid-prelaw-majors-some-say
  3. ↑ http://www.lsac.org/jd/help/faqs-lsat
  4. ↑ http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/test-dates-deadlines
  5. ↑ http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/lsat-cas-fees
  6. ↑ http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/fee-waivers
  7. ↑ http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/about-the-lsat
  8. ↑ http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/preparing-for-the-lsat
  9. ↑ http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/aba_approved_law_schools.html
  10. ↑ http://www.princetonreview.com/law-school-advice/law-school-accreditation
  11. ↑ http://www.lawschoolbible.com/topics/list-of-non-aba-law-schools
  12. ↑ http://lawschoolexpert.com/attending-a-non-aba-school/
  13. ↑ http://college.usatoday.com/2014/07/15/surviving-your-first-year-of-law-school-tips-from-a-rising-second-year-student/
  14. ↑ http://www.mediate.com/articles/lawadrprogramlinks.cfm
  15. ↑ http://www.ncbex.org/pubs/bar-admissions-guide/2015/index.html#p=33
  16. ↑ http://www.ncbex.org/pubs/bar-admissions-guide/2015/index.html#p=35
  17. ↑ http://www.ncbex.org/pubs/bar-admissions-guide/2015/index.html#p=37
  18. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  19. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  20. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  21. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  22. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  23. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  24. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  25. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  26. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  27. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview
  28. ↑ https://career.berkeley.edu/Info/InfoInterview

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