Houston-based attorney Craig Seldin has handled many family law cases over the many years he’s been practicing. Family law is a specialized legal field that, as its name implies, has to do with familial affairs. It’s a specialized body of laws and in many states, family law issues are heard in front of special family law courts.

Family law has jurisdiction over marriages, civil unions, prenuptial agreements, divorces, adoptions, custody and property settlements, among other things. It’s a very delicate area of legal expertise. A good family law attorney is an accomplished lawyer but also an expert negotiator. Family attorneys are privy to some of their clients’ most intimate moments.

Family Law: Marriage and Divorce

It takes a very special kind of person to be a successful family lawyer. Choosing the right person to represent you in these kinds of transactions can be tricky. Much of family law involves negotiations, so people skills can be just as important as legal knowledge here. Complex property transactions secondary to divorce, however, require lawyers with sophisticated financial understanding.

Family lawyers handle the following kinds of transactions:

Marriage

Marriage is essentially a contract between two people. But since that contract bears the signature of a state representative, it’s also a legal arrangement. Craig Seldin thinks it’s always wisest to work through areas of potential disagreement before getting married. If one or both parties have significant financial assets, a prenuptial agreement can offer protection.

Divorce

Divorce refers to the legal dissolution of the marriage contract. Many issues may need to be addressed when a marriage ends. If children are involved, custody issues are paramount. Assets acquired by the couple during marriage and common debt must also be resolved.

Every state has its own set of statutes and stipulations regarding divorce. Certain fundamental principles underlie them all, however. In Texas, notes lawyer Craig Seldin, there are many different options for divorce such as:

  • Do it yourself divorce: Instruction kits are widely available that allow couples to negotiate divorce agreements without legal assistance. These are situations where the divorcing couple often has no children or significant assets. The kit provides a checklist to help the divorcing couple review available options.Craig Seldin supports amicable marriage dissolutions. Nevertheless, he thinks it’s a good idea for a lawyer to vet the paperwork before filing. One or both parties may be giving up rights whose significance they are unaware. A lawyer can point these kinds of things out before the divorce becomes legally binding.
  •  Mediated divorce: When divorcing spouses disagree about the disbursement of property, mediation is an option. Mediators are impartial, objective third parties. Their job is to help spouses reach a settlement. Divorcing spouses may retain legal counsel during the mediation process. Divorcing spouses are often able to reach an agreement during mediation, thereby avoiding litigation.
  •  Litigated divorce: When a divorce goes to litigation, divorcing spouses can no longer make their own decisions. Instead, these decisions are made by a judge or, in rare    instances, a jury.Litigation may be the only viable option in situations where one of the divorcing spouses refuses to negotiate. The litigation process is generally quite contentious, however, and focuses on the negative. When a divorce goes to trial, points out legal expert Craig Seldin each party focuses on being right. This means that he or she must also focus on proving  that the other spouse is wrong. This can be an extremely negative process, especially  when children are involved.

    The number one cause of conflict between divorcing parents is custody and visitation issues. In Texas, parents are required to provide financial support for their child until he or she turns 18. When child support issues are involved, it’s always a good idea to consult a family law attorney.

Craig Seldin Talks About the Qualities of a Good Family Law Attorney

What kind of person makes a good family law attorney? A good family law attorney is someone who is smart and knowledgeable, but also very empathetic. Family law attorneys help clients through some of the toughest moments of those clients’ lives. Family law involves a great deal of handholding. A good family law attorney also understands the importance of negotiation and compromise.

A first rate family law attorney must have excellent people skills as well as legal expertise. He or she must be able to multitask. A family law attorney is often called upon to juggle many different cases simultaneously. Since so much of their work involves negotiating property settlements, they must understand finances.

Family law attorneys often work as teams within the same practice. Family law attorneys who are working together on the same or related cases will share details with one another. Family law attorneys who are dealing with particularly complex issues will often need to consult other experts in their fields.

In many states, family law attorneys do not need any special certification process to practice family law. However, their academic careers before going to law school generally reflect an interest in interpersonal dynamics. Family law attorneys typically have majored in psychology, sociology or counseling as undergraduates. In law school, they’ve taken elective classes in family law, juvenile practice and alternative dispute resolution.

Often, family law attorneys will have completed one or more family law-focused internships in law school. Other family law attorneys will have clerked for a judge with a large family law related docket.

Family law is a good field for any aspiring attorney, advises veteran lawyer Craig Seldin. The legal field is very competitive right now. However, as the population continues to increase, family-related legal issues will continue to arise. This is particularly true with the increasing number of families that blend different cultures.

Veteran attorney Craig Seldin thinks family law is a challenging but rewarding field. Family law is the area of legal practice that encompasses marriages, divorces, adoptions, custody and property settlements. Family law expert Craig Seldin says divorcing Texas couples have many options available for marital dissolutions. They can do the divorce themselves, they can go through a mediator or they can divorce in court. Seasoned lawyer Craig Seldin says it takes a very special type of person to be a good family law attorney.