A family lawyer handles anything having to do with direct family issues, such as adoption, surrogacy, child abuse, child abduction, spousal abuse, estate or family planning, divorce, custody battles, paternity determinations, juvenile delinquency, child emancipation, prenuptial agreements, and name changes. Lawyers practicing family law represent their clients in family court proceedings or in negotiations and also draft any necessary legal documents.
While some family lawyers only focus on divorce, most cover all areas of family law. Divorce law and family law are sometimes thought of as one in the same, however, divorce law is only one of many issues a family lawyer deals with. It is interesting to note that a family lawyer can handle a divorce, but a divorce lawyer usually does not have the expertise to represent clients in other family law matters. Immigration lawyers determine the legal rights, obligations, and duties of individuals considered aliens and specialize in helping them gain legal citizenship within a specific country.
