Making the move from personal injury defense to family law/ TE. Any advice to help with the transition? I’m a 3rd year.

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Learn to compartmentalize. I’m on year 15 and own a 4 attorney family law firm. Family law can be rewarding and interesting but you can’t carry around your clients’ problems and emotions all the time. I genuinely enjoy practicing family law- don’t let everyone who says it’s terrible scare you away.

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I also made the switch from insurance defense to family law this year after practicing for about 5 years. There will be a learning curve of course but so many of your skills will translate. I honestly love it! Take the leap of faith, don’t look back.

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Can I DM you

I love it too. It’s so challenging on so many levels. But such important work.
As for advice, read up on social services laws. Know the judges. Know how CPS/DFS operate. Know and understand the role of a forensic evaluator. Read the latest maintenance/child support laws and STUDY the ED, credits, retirement calculations and pension policies. Learn the court rules of the judges. Learn about parental alienation.
Orders of protection and what constitutes a family offense. What is admissible in child custody cases, roles of law guardians and in camera interviews.
And learn to tell your clients that they are not de facto entitles to more or less time with a child because of an increase/decrease in child support. They cannot buy and sell time with their kids.

helpful

Equitable distribution.
Qdro= qualified domestic relations order (for retirement)
OOP=order of protection/TOP (temporary) FOP (final)

helpful

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