20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually split time between client meetings, drafting documents, and courtwork. Mornings often start with email and calendar checks in Microsoft Outlook and reviewing deadlines in AbacusLaw or a spreadsheet in Excel.
Afternoons go to drafting motions, agreements, or discovery in Microsoft Word and creating PDFs with Adobe Acrobat. Court appearances or mediations happen midweek; evenings are for legal research, planning strategy, and returning client calls.
Expect Microsoft Word for drafting petitions, custody agreements, and affidavits; Adobe Acrobat for signing and redacting PDFs; and Outlook to schedule hearings and client calls. Microsoft Excel is used for budgets, asset lists, and child-support calculations.
Many firms use case-management like AbacusLaw (Abacus Data Systems) to track deadlines, billing, and documents. Microsoft Office ties these together for daily workflow.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 754,500 lawyers employed in 2025; the median annual wage was $159,670. The lowest tenth earned $78,360 and the top tenth $351,600. Those numbers cover all lawyers, not just family law specialists.
Pay depends on location, firm size, billable hours, and whether you run a solo practice. BLS is the source for these national figures.
You need a law degree (J.D. in the U.S.) then to pass your state bar exam. While in law school, take family-law courses and clinics, and intern at family courts or legal aid to get courtroom and client experience.
After passing the bar, join a firm or start in legal aid or a county family law office to learn court procedures, drafting, and negotiation. Track cases and deadlines with AbacusLaw or Outlook early on.
Family law focuses on divorce, custody, support, and guardianship—tasks include drafting agreements, protecting client interests, and acting as guardian or trustee. It’s more client-intense and often involves ongoing post-judgment work.
Criminal law centers on prosecution or defense of crimes and uses different rules and timeframes. Family lawyers negotiate settlements and handle sensitive client confidentiality and human-rights issues more often.
AI can speed research and draft basic forms, but you must check everything. Use it to generate first drafts or find citations, then verify statutes, rulings, and case law yourself with primary sources.
Never send client confidences into a tool that doesn’t guarantee confidentiality. Save final documents in Word and PDF, and log work and deadlines in AbacusLaw or Outlook for your file record.