What is the Difference Between a Family Law Attorney and a Divorce Lawyer?

What is the Difference Between a Family Law Attorney and a Divorce Lawyer?

In the legal world, the terms “family law attorney” and “divorce lawyer” are interchangeable. A divorce lawyer is a more simplistic label since it is easily understood by everyone and family law attorney may feel a bit obtuse to people who aren’t in the legal field. But both are lawyers who are knowledgeable in the field of family laws and skilled in dealing with all matters under those laws, including divorces.

Family Law is the Umbrella Concept for Divorce Laws

Divorce falls under the umbrella of family law with most divorce lawyers handling the full spectrum of family law matters. These will include separation, child custody and support, visitation, spousal support, and asset division. But family law also considers matters of paternity, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, emancipation, adoption, foster care, and other matters not particular to divorce.

When a Label Isn’t Just a Label

Of course, a label isn’t just a label. Many times, the label by which an attorney addresses himself or herself is how they see themselves in context to the law. Connotations can be everything. If you are someone who is looking for a bulldog divorce strategy, are you more likely to hire a divorce lawyer or a family law attorney? 

As a society we may think of a divorce lawyer as the ruthless face on the other side of the negotiating table, litigating until the final moment. We may think of the family law attorney as looking at the bigger picture and taking a more holistic approach. Although each professional will do the same things, it is often a matter of how they do them that is the perception. 

Who is Your Divorce Attorney?

How the lawyer sees himself or herself is an important distinction for a client to understand. If you want a more collaborative and amicable approach, you may not want to go into that hard-edged litigation strategy at the very beginning of negotiations. 

There are times that you want that litigator to go after your spouse tooth and claw, but we have found that taking an initial collaborative approach at the outset sets the tone and often the way that the court perceives the individuals if they do end going into litigation. It also is far less costly for the parties and sets up a cooperative framework when you are sharing custody of your children.  

Match Your Needs to the Attributes of Your Lawyer

Either way, the terms divorce lawyer and family law attorney are technically interchangeable and don’t suggest any difference in degree of capability. As someone who is considering divorce, it’s important for a client to understand their own needs and match those to the attributes of the lawyer. You can do this with a consultation or phone interview or get referrals from others who have gone through the process themselves. 

Because the divorce process is an emotionally charged one, it needs to be skillfully managed. In most cases, taking a collaborative approach can set the whole procedure in the right direction. If a cooperative attempt goes awry, however, you want a lawyer who has the ability to pull out those aggressive tools in his or her toolkit at the appropriate time. 

If you are looking for a divorce lawyer who takes the time to listen and can manage a cooperative strategy yet can aggressively represent you when it is called for, contact the law office of Juan Luciano Divorce Lawyer for an initial consultation.

 

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