A divorce attorney is a type of lawyer who specializes in family law cases. To become a divorce attorney, an individual usually has to graduate from high school and earn a college degree. Then, an aspiring divorce attorney usually goes on to earn a legal degree and pass a jurisdiction-required law exam as well. Often, a person interested in this family law career also completes an internship in order to gain valuable experience in this type of law.
Unfortunately, a significant percentage of marriages end in divorce. When a marriage comes to an end, a person may seek the help of a divorce attorney in completing the divorce efficiently, protecting his interests, and seeing to the needs of any children of the marriage. A divorce attorney advises and represents his clients in divorce, custody, child support, and alimony cases. Often, a divorce attorney also helps clients with cases involving the division of assets.
In most places, a person who wants to become a divorce attorney has a significant amount of education ahead of him. Usually, a person in this field starts by completing high school or securing an equivalent diploma. While a basic academic track of courses may provide an aspiring divorce attorney with good preparation for college, courses that help him to build his written and verbal communication skills may be helpful as well. Likewise, courses that promote analytical thinking may help him to prepare for this career path.
After high school, a person who wants to become a divorce attorney usually goes on to college and works toward an undergraduate degree in preparation for this law career. An aspiring divorce lawyer may choose to earn just about any undergraduate degree. Pre-law, business, and political science degrees are among the common choices for aspiring divorce attorneys, however.
Following college, a person who wants to become a divorce attorney usually enrolls in law school. Among the many courses an aspiring divorce attorney may take in law school are those in family law, legal writing, and jurisprudence. Many aspiring divorce lawyers also complete internships, gaining practical experience by working with a family law firm or organization. This experience may make it easier for an aspiring attorney to secure a job after completing law school. Then, after earning a law degree, he usually finishes his preparation by taking and passing a legal exam in order to practice as a divorce attorney.
