Family Law Attorneys Goleta California

When a couple goes through a divorce, they often need the help of family law attorneys to help them divide assets, reach fair agreements about child custody, and decide what types of financial support one spouse might need from the other person. Family law attorneys provide these services as well as those related to adoption, abuse, and legal separation. They do not, however, provide all of these services without assistance from other professionals. In fact, a family law firm often has several different types of employees.

Whether seeking courtroom representation or mediation services, clients usually have the most contact with their attorneys. Meeting with a family law attorney to discuss division of property, adoption, dissolving a marriage, and child custody, however, means that someone has to create a schedule. This is usually the job of the lawyer’s secretary. The secretary keeps track of client records and appointments. He or she might also type letters, file correspondence, write referrals, and provide other services that help the attorney give clients all of the services that they need. Secretaries often have customer service experience. They also need to be computer literate and understand interoffice relationships.

Many family law firms also have legal assistants that have some training in law but do not have law degrees. These employees perform research and help attorneys write documents that support their cases. This type of professional can save an attorney a lot of time, which means the lawyer can pursue pro-bono divorce, custody, and adoption work as well as work for paying clients.