Spotlight on: Family Law
This feature series will give you insight into what it’s like working in different areas of law.
This blog post has been prepared by Gemma Berkhout, a senior PA and paralegal who has 10 years experience working exclusively in family law. She is currently employed as a PA/paralegal in the family law team at Lander & Rogers.
If you are interested in contributing to this series about the area of law in which you work, please feel free to contact us on admin@thesupportstaffcommunity.com.
What is family law?
Family law deals with all kinds of family and relationship matters. It can involve contested parenting and property proceedings in Court as well as other matters, including:
Simple divorces;
Property settlement and parenting arrangements, outside of Court;
Binding Financial Agreements ("pre-nups");
De facto matters;
Surrogacy and IVF;
Spousal maintenance; and
Some family law practitioners may also assist with Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
What is a typical day at work like for you?
Busy, and never the same!
Because of the nature of family law, many family law solicitors do not give their clients and other solicitors their direct phone number. Because of this, a large part of our role will involve client management and taking calls for our solicitors.
Family law matters are often complex and can involve a lot of paperwork including correspondence, disclosure documents in relation to financial matters (such as tax returns, bank statements etc) and Court pleadings. As a result, legal support staff within family law spend a lot of time on file management including filing correspondence (electronically or in hard copy) and indexing Court documents and disclosure.
Other jobs that we may be required to undertake on a day to day basis may include:
Typing correspondence and documents from dictation;
Sending emails and correspondence on behalf of your solicitor;
Collating briefs to Counsel;
Attending to Court filing (electronically and in person);
Organising conferences and booking meeting rooms; and
For more senior support staff and paralegals, drafting simple correspondence and documents.
What are the biggest challenges of working in your area of law? How do you deal with these challenges?
Family law is a very sensitive area of law - our clients are usually getting in touch with us at one of the hardest times of their lives. Because of this, clients can get quite upset and, at times, angry. It is important to practice empathy and put yourself in the client's shoes. Remember that clients may not necessarily be upset with you or your firm but with the process in which they are involved.
It can also be quite confronting when dealing with serious issues which can arise in family law including allegations pertaining to physical or sexual abuse. Whilst you will not experience these issues regularly, this is something that you need to be prepared to come across when working in family law. It is important to remember:
Always be sensitive with clients and mindful of the issues they may be experiencing.
Remember that by assisting your client you are helping them in the situation that they are facing. You work is important and it can be incredibly rewarding to assist in these situations, even though the content of the matter may be difficult to handle at times.
If you are struggling with any aspect of a family law matter and the effect it may be having on your own mental health, ensure that you speak to your supervisor about this. If necessary, speak to a psychologist or your firm's mental health access provider if they have one.
What do you enjoy most about working in your area of law?
To me, the greatest thing about working in family law is that no two days look the same. Because of the personal nature of family law, each matter will be different than the other. This means that you will always be experiencing new challenges, and continuing to learn and grow. You will never be bored!
