Family Law: Family Court Lawyer in New York, United States

Family Law: Family Court Lawyer in New York, United States
Title and Description of the Profession
The title of this profession is family court attorney or lawyer. Such a person is tasked with helping married couples on matters such as pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, divorce, child support, domestic violence/abuse and any other related matter that links the family to law. This profession can be found in areas such as a court, organizations dealing with children’s rights and also in schools.
I chose this profession because I have a passion and love for the family as a basic unit of human survival. I believe that all members of the family should have equal rights and co-exist in harmony. For this to be achieved, a family lawyer sometimes has to step in and help in resolving any disputes that may arise in a family such as child support. I am interested in ensuring that any family that needs help with the law gets it within the fastest time at an affordable price. As a result of this, our society will run smoothly, and families will be able to nurture one another into useful and respectable members of the community through peace, love and equity.
Lawyers like Raoul Felder and Bernard E. Clair of New York have dealt with several divorce cases [some involving celebrities] and are widely known and feared when it comes to resolution of divorce cases in courts ( White, 2010).
Qualifications and Certificates for the Profession
Qualifications to become a family court lawyer are obtained from law schools that are recognized by the American Bar Association. A person has to enroll for the respective undergraduate degree that takes four years to complete.
• Four-year Undergraduate Degree
• Juris Doctor degree at a recognized law school
• Pass bar exam in State where the job is located
• Skills such as discussion, debating and negotiation also come in handy.
• Good time management and ability to interact with different people easily
Some of the best tertiary institutions offering courses in family law include; Columbia University NY and Indiana University. Others include Hofstra University and Sycaruse University. A family law graduate program typically consists of at least four courses, namely;
• Family Law
• Juvenile Justice
• Domestic Violence
• Children and the Law
Career Opportunities
Jobs available include;
1. A Family Law Attorney at Slate Legal. This job requires a team player and an experienced lawyer. Compensation depends on one’s experience.
2. Family Law Paralegal at Berner Law Group, PLLC. The candidate requires one-year minimum experience in family law. A maximum salary of $65000 per year.
The positions listed above are good stepping-stones or foundations to reach greater heights in family law as they are offered by reputable companies/organizations. Experience gained here can go a long way in boosting one’s career.

Literature Materials
1. Legal Aid Cuts
According to The Guardian, reduction in legal aid in legal advice and representation funding are causing family courts to fall apart. As a result of this, may people are opting for private arbitrated hearings instead of a slow and overcrowded public courts. One of the main reasons causing delays and overcrowding is that only a third of all cases in family courts involve cases where both parties have representation. The rest comprise of cases where one or even both parties to the case do not have representation. Consequently, in the latter case, judges have to help personally the affected parties develop their cases which in turn lead to more time consumed for each particular case (Bowcott, 2014).
Experts believe that providing legal aid for at least one initial meeting between a lawyer and a litigant can help in drawing a clear path for the litigant to follow in pursuant of justice. This, as opposed to the judge drafting orders for them, can help speed up the court system as people will have an idea of what to do at each stage of the case.
As a result of the legal aid cuts, free DNA tests are being introduced in courts as an effort to speed up paternity issues in families. Additionally, older children [above 10yrs] could be allowed to have a say during paternity and divorce cases and their opinions and views considered in the making of the final decision of the court.
These DNA tests help in resolving the disputes faster especially in cases where one party is unrepresented or does not can pay for an expert. This in turn saves many days or hours of argument and wastage of valuable time.
It is not just the litigants who are facing problems as a result of these delays; judges too are having a hard time dealing with each case presented before them that takes longer than recommended. This kind of working condition for the judges contribute in overall job dissatisfaction making most of these judges either lack the morale to work or speed up judgments for the sake of doing away with a particular case. We have an over-worked and tired judge and a lost, nervous and stressed unrepresented litigant together in one court, a perfect recipe for injustice and hurriedly-cooked judgments.
In an attempt to seek ways of brightening up the situation at our family law courts, it would be important to make the court a source of advice for families since most people only need to be pointed in the right direction and thus spend less time pursuing these cases. Additionally, out-of-court settlements can be encouraged. This would go a long way in helping to decongest the courts.
2. Recent Developments in Family Law
In Indiana, child custody policies are undergoing a positive change with the introduction of new laws to help in solving disputes arising from such cases. For example, parents are now required to have alternating custody during public holidays such as Christmas and other school breaks. Additionally, parallel parenting has also been introduced in the case where the parents are not in good terms and as such cannot communicate freely. In such cases, a professional such as a counselor steps in to assist in making arrangements for child custody.
In cases of child adoption, parents must give their consent before a child can be put up for adoption. Previously, it was generally considered that only the mother was giving the child up for adoption but currently the father has to be informed of and his views considered in the adoption process.
Regarding the subject of relocation, any parent wanting to relocate in the course of a child custody case must file a motion in the respective court. The court must then have a hearing to determine whether this wish can be granted. In cases where the other parent opposes the relocation, he/she must file a motion with the court in less than 60 days aimed at preventing the relocation. A parent who wishes to relocate must also provide sufficient proof that he/she is doing so for legitimate reasons and not in the interest of running away.
Summary Reflections
This article provides information on the requirements, employment opportunities and schools related to family law matters. Past and emerging issues in this field are also covered. In my unbiased opinion, becoming a family law attorney or judge is a good and promising career since one has the chance to assist the many unrepresented litigants suffering daily in the courts and in the process speed up the court system. The compensation offered for such a career is also fair given the amount of work one is required to do, and the qualifications needed are in line with the expected responsibilities.
Regarding the future of the family law field, much has to be done to ease up the congestion and delays in the courts. Encouraging out-of-court settlements would go a long way in solving this problem. People need to be informed on their rights so that when one decides to go to court, he/she has a good idea of what is expected of him/her and can thus come prepared thus eliminating the stress and anxiety exhibited by most parties in courts.
Personally, I believe that I am capable of undertaking all responsibilities of a family law attorney as I understand the current triumphs and problems in family law courts. I believe that with the necessary skills [both academic and life skills], it is possible to transform the family law scene for better and faster resolution of cases.

References
Berner Law Group. Family Law Paralegal. Retrieved from https://www.ziprecruiter.com/job/Family-Law-Paralegal/d7d7534e?source=cpc-simplyhired-sfs
Bingham, J. (2014, Sept 4). Divorce courts hit by delays as warring couples opt to represent themselves. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/divorce/11075074/Divorce-courts-hit-by-delays-as-warring-couples-opt-to-represent-themselves.html
Bowcott, O. (2014, Jul 29). Legal aid cuts have left family courts ‘at breaking point’. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jul/29/legal-aid-family-courts-breaking-point-lawyers
Bowcott, O. (2014, June 26). Free DNA tests piloted in family courts to clear up paternity disputes. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jun/26/free-dna-tests-piloted-family-courts-paternity-disputes
Education Portal. Top Family Law Programs. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/articles/Top_Family_Law_Programs_List_of_Top_US_Schools.html
Education Portal. Family Law Classes and Courses Overview. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/family_law_classes.html
Ryznar, M.( n.d). Recent Developments in Indiana Family Law. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2412833
Slate Legal. Family Law Attorney. Retrieved from https://www.ziprecruiter.com/job/Family-Law-Attorney/a0d475aa?source=cpc-nf-simplyhired
White, G. (2010, Jan 12). 10 Lawyers You Don’t Want Representing Your Spouse in A Divorce. The Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/lawyers-you-dont-want-to-see-across-the-divorce-settlement-table-2010-1?op=1