Find & Compare Family Lawyers in Your Area!

Family lawyers handle the legal side of households forming, changing and splitting: divorce, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, property division, adoption, prenuptial agreements and protective orders. People usually come here during a hard stretch, wanting to understand what the process looks like before committing to a lawyer.

This is general guidance on choosing, not legal advice. Most family lawyers bill hourly against a retainer that has to be topped up as it runs down, so ask the hourly rates for the attorney and the paralegals, the billing increment, and roughly what similar matters have cost. Ask whether they steer toward mediation or collaborative divorce when it fits, or mostly litigate. Find out who will answer your calls day to day. Some states certify family law specialists, and every state bar publishes whether a lawyer is in good standing — check both. Updating a will after a divorce is a separate job; see estate planners.

The family law practices on this page each submitted their own listing, and a person reviewed it before publication. If you practice family law, apply to get listed — free and quick to complete.