Family Lawyers
Overview
Introduction
Family lawyers provide legal representation to individuals or families regarding issues such as adoption, children’s rights, divorce, and estates and trusts. Family law is a multifaceted field in which lawyers work on both civil and criminal cases. Family lawyers work as solo practitioners and for law firms, nonprofit organizations, public defender’s offices, legal services offices, state’s attorney’s offices, public guardian’s offices, and departments of children and family services.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Experienced lawyers earn salaries that vary depending on the type, size, and location of the organization employing them. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, lawyers earned median annual salaries of $145,760 in 2023, although some high-profile divorce attorneys can make more than $1 million a year. State and local government attorneys generally made less, earning $106,420 and $132,290, r...
Work Environment
Family lawyers spend a considerable amount of time with their clients in their offices, in court, and in arbitration and administrative proceedings. Those in the private sector often work more than 40 hours a week. They meet with clients and work on cases at night and weekends, and they may receive calls from clients after typical business hours.
This specialty can be extremely rewarding...
Outlook
Employment for lawyers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2033, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which predicts that “demand for legal work is expected to continue as individuals, businesses, and all levels of government require legal services in many areas.” Demand for family lawyers should continue to increase as the number of ...