Does the thought of helping an individual through the legal process of terminating their marriage sound like a good match for your skills and interests? If so, this page can help you know the steps involved in becoming a divorce lawyer.

The legal profession is broad and far-reaching into many aspects of government, society and social issues. Family law is the general term for lawyers who specialize in helping to resolve issues surrounding marriage, children, adoption and separation. A subset of family law is divorce law. Divorce lawyers deal with the laws surrounding the amicable separation of goods, custody arrangements for children and alimony arrangements. In many cases, divorce lawyers work to protect the rights and assets of their client through civil court proceedings.http://diplomaguide.com/articles/Divorce_Lawyer_Career_Profile.html

While divorce lawyers typically focus on legal work at the end of a marriage, they can also work on items such as prenuptial agreements that can help make the end of a marriage smoother if the marriage ends up on the divorce side of statistics. Divorce lawyers can work in a variety of settings including in a larger firm that focuses on family law, in their own private practice or as a professor at a university or law school.

As one of the highest paid professions in the United States, the legal field is highly competitive both in gaining entrance to law schools and in finding the best employment opportunities. Starting salaries for lawyers is typically close to $70,000 with seasoned lawyers often making over $110,000 a year. http://www.bls.gov/oco/Ocos053.htm This high pay usually requires long hours and a fairly high stress load. Divorce lawyers often must contend with emotionally charged situations on a daily basis and must learn to become objective to maintain their own emotional balance.

The first educational hurdle on the divorce lawyer path is high school. Obtain high marks from a high school and score well on standardized college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT so you can gain entrance to a well-regarded college or university.

The second educational step towards a divorce lawyer career is obtaining an undergraduate degree. You can major in almost any discipline, but a degree in English can help improve your reading and writing skills, psychology courses can help you understand emotional distress and business classes can prepare you to run your own law firm and manage your own money.

The third educational step on your divorce lawyer path is law school. After completing a 4-year undergraduate degree and taking the law school entrance exam (the LSAT), you must attend 3 years of law school. Opt for a law school that provides a concentration or specialization in family law to maximize your divorce law knowledge. During breaks in law school, consider obtaining a clerkship at a law firm that handles divorce law cases to help give you a real world education while you obtain your practical and theoretical training in law school.

The bar exam is a rite of passage for all lawyers, regardless of specialization. Each state has their own requirements for bar entry that can include the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), the Multistate Bar Exam or the Multistate Essay Examination. http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mbe/ Be sure to understand all the requirements for the states where you want to practice law to ensure you prepare properly.

Passing the bar exam usually requires a period of intense study and preparation. Often, those wanting to sit for the bar will take a professional review course through companies such as Kaplan or BarBri Bar. Some may opt for home study through review guides and books, while others utilize study groups. Match your preparation method to your personal study style for maximum impact.

You will need to be familiar with multiple areas of law, not just family law, to pass the bar exam. Typical areas covered on bar exams include criminal law, contracts, constitutional law, evidence and real property. http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mbe/ Take practice exam and note the areas where you perform weakly and concentrate your study time accordingly. For bar requirements that include an essay portion, focus on writing fast, clean answers so that you can answer as many questions as possible and score the most points. You are not penalized for a wrong answer, but you cannot score points without any answer listed.

The educational foundation you received in law school has immense value to your legal career success, but you must become skilled in applying the theories you learned to practical, real-world divorce law situations. The best way to gain this experience is by working for a larger law firm that specializes in family law after you pass your bar exam. Working with seasoned professionals and gaining exposure to a wide variety of cases and situations will extend your abilities as a lawyer.

After you feel confident in your divorce law skills and knowledge, you must decide on your long-term career path. You can choose to remain in a law firm with the end-goal of become a partner, you can start your own firm, or you can choose to teach. It is best to choose the path that matches your career objective and preferred working style.

As your career progresses, maintain your dedication to constant learning. Subscribe to divorce law trade publications, read books and keep up with changes to state and federal laws that could impact your clients. Lawyers must keep on top of changes to be effective legal counselors for their clients.