As the name would suggest, family law covers legal issues that relate to family relationships. If you are in need of legal assistance regarding any family matters, you will generally have to hire a family lawyer. It is important that you know everything that this area of the law will cover to ensure that you are hiring the right lawyer.


One of the areas covered by family law is divorce. When going through a divorce, both partners will generally hire a lawyer who will help them draw up a settlement plan. This is done to avoid the divorce going to trial and the settlement being determined by a judge.

It is possible to complete a divorce without the use of a lawyer, but it is generally not recommended in most cases. This is due to the fact that the divorce petition will need to be filed with the court and this is something that most people do not know how to complete.

Child Custody And Support

Another area of family law relates to child custody and support. This area of family law is often included in divorce because it is generally linked to when parents separate. However, there are other times when custody and support will need to be decided by the court.

When dealing with child custody and support, it is recommended that a lawyer be hired. This is due to the fact that this area of family law can be complicated. When custody and support are determined by the courts, the judge will generally take the best interests of the child into account.


When paternity is in question, the mother will generally file a paternity case with the court to secure child support and conditional visitation rights for the father. There are also times when the potential father will file a paternity case to determine their relationship to the child. These cases should also be done by a lawyer because of the medical testing which needs to be done to determine paternity.

Adoption And Foster Care

Adoption is a complex process because the actual process will differ depending on the type of adoption and is covered by family law. Adoptions will vary in different states which also makes it harder for people to complete without a lawyer. There are also a number of other factors that make up adoption that you will need to know about.

Foster care is also covered by family law particularly when foster families want to adopt their foster children. When looking at foster care, the process will not need legal representation and will generally be handled outside of the courts.

Family law covers a lot of different areas, but they all relate to the family and legal processes that relate to family relationships. It is recommended that you hire a lawyer to help you navigate the legal process. There are times when divorce and foster care will not need to how to get child custody records, but this is only when all parties are completely in agreement.