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mygif

In my area of the Southeast US the majority of family lawyers are female. Is that generally the case in your experience?

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MonkeyWithTypewriter said on May 16th, 2012 at 10:09 am

Single Female Lawyer….

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mygif

I have to take the opportunity to applaud you, sir. I (hopefully) am about to become an American lawyer, and through my experiences with actually working in the law, the strongest lesson I’ve learned, for me, is “bloody hell not family law.” So I am always in awe of people who can do family law and enjoy it, and be passionate about it, because it is extremely necessary work. So I applaud you.

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mygif

Thanks for the upbeat post on what could’ve been a downbeat subject! Positivity on the internet is a good thing.

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mygif

Sounds like hard work; and a little bit like social work, at least the 5 stages part. Do people who want to get into social work type stuff sometimes decide to go into family law?

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highlyverbal said on May 16th, 2012 at 12:20 pm

In no way am I suggesting that family law isn’t a heart-breaking legal field, but criminal defense is also notorious, especially in law school.

Sure, people remember the first time a nice, sweet mom has to compromise on access to the kids; but not like everyone remembers their first visit to prison. That shit changes you, fast.

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mygif

@highlyverbal – my father wouldn’t trade being a public defender for family law for any amount of money. He says that criminal lawyers get to see bad people at their best, while civil lawyers of any kind tend to see good people at their worst. Prison doesn’t seem to faze him; family disputes do.

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Aussiesmurf said on May 16th, 2012 at 8:43 pm

I’ve been a Family Lawyer in Melbourne, Australia for around 13 years. Whenever people ask “How could you do something like Family Law?”, my standard answer is “Well, how could I do tax law for 40 years?? I’d want to shoot myself in the head…”

That usually ends the discussion.

The main frustration is people spending money on legal fees completely out of proportion to the subject of the dispute. I (finally) settled a matter last week where the legal fees of the parties (combined) were approximately $140,000.00, while the asset pool was $1.1 million.

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Nicodemus said on May 16th, 2012 at 8:53 pm

Lawyers are Aes Sendai? No wonder that hot prosecutor wouldn’t date me during that murder trial.

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mygif

I’m curious, is Canadian family law as hugely biased towards conservative social norms as it is in the States?

I wouldn’t say its routine, but down here things like “You’ve starting bringing people with whom you’re having a sexual relationship in contact with your child” or “You are openly atheist” can, in isolation, cause things like loss of primary physical custody or dramatic curtailment of visiting rights.

I also wonder… are there legal sanctions in place for people who CAN’T get to the stage of acceptance? Down here a lot of people, once they realize they are going to have to deal with their much-loathed ex for twenty years, embark on a deliberate campaign to poison their children against them. This won’t qualify as abuse per se if you’re careful about it, but the courts tend to take a dim view.

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mygif

So Flapjacks is your pillow friend? It all makes sense now!

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Zyzzyva said on May 17th, 2012 at 8:38 am

Huh, you went to Carelton? Cool. Im also amused they give such space to the Atorontoist and this very blog. 😉

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mygif

I’m curious, is Canadian family law as hugely biased towards conservative social norms as it is in the States?

hahahahahahahaha it’s funny because you’re serious and that’s actually really sad

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mygif

Uh… it is?

I’m afraid the reason for your… I’m guessing that’s rueful mirth?… has flown right over my head. My questions were indeed genuine, based on my (possibly erroneous and admittedly limited) knowledge of family law in the US and my complete ignorance as to how family law works in Canada.

You are, of course, under no obligation to educate me. But I honestly find your reply baffling.

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Candlejack said on May 18th, 2012 at 12:50 pm

I’m thinking (maybe hoping?) it’s hilarious because even Canada’s conservatives are left of most the US liberals.

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bad johnny got out said on May 18th, 2012 at 12:57 pm

@Murc

Your admittedly limited knowledge of family law in the US is only “possibly erroneous” in the sense that, in some circles, it’s considered a virtue to remain absolutely skeptical at all times about literally everything.

I’m also completely ignorant of Canadian law, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that getting a new boyfriend is the most disgraceful thing your Mommy can do.

Your Momma so wanton she will probably leave you alone in a hot car. On the bright side locked cars don’t get hot enough to kill you up in Canada.

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mygif

I’d bet that in theory U.S. family law is no worse than Canadian, but is probably more variable in quality, and law in general may be more expensive and family law is relatively low-stakes – financially, of course, not necessarily on the personal level – so if you litigate and have the bad luck to have a caveman judge or lawyer involved, you’re less likely to be able to appeal it to reasonable people. Just guessing, though.

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highlyverbal said on May 21st, 2012 at 6:38 pm

People who hold “conservative social norms” (deliciously Orwellian!) would regard Canada as virulently leftist.

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