Family Law OverviewThe global Family Law team has been independently rated as a market leader in Tier 1 categories of Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 for many years. The department advises on all areas of family law, with a particular focus on the financial issues that arise when relationships are formalised or break down. Much of the work involves the negotiation and settlement of complex financial cases, often with an international perspective and further complicated by tax or trust issues.
The family law team is supported by in-house experts in other areas of the firm including Private Client & Tax, Trust Litigation, Corporate and Employment. They provide detailed advice at short notice for clients who are looking for the best location to file proceedings.
Another area of special interest is the resolution of disputes over children, including issues of custody, access, and the problems that may arise when one parent wishes to move to live abroad with the children. In addition advice is given to trustees on the ramifications of a family member's marriage, civil partnership or separation. The global team has a very strong pre-nuptials practice, often with international elements.
The Role This role will sit in our Los Angeles office. - Handle both contentious and non-contentious family law matters for a diverse client base;
- Manage divorce cases involving complex financial disputes, property division, and spousal support;
- Draft, review, and negotiate marital agreements, including prenuptial, postnuptial, and cohabitation agreements;
- Represent clients in child custody and visitation matters, including paternity disputes;
- Provide comprehensive advice across all areas of family law;
- Advise on child support, adoption, guardianship, and parental rights issues;
- Navigate international family law matters, including cross-border custody and asset division;
- Prepare and file court pleadings, motions, and other legal documents; and
- Conduct legal research and stay updated on changes in family law legislation and case law.
- Contribute to the team's profile and undertaking business development activities to establish, develop, and maintain long-term relationships; including, writing articles/posts, attending events/conferences and building networks with private wealth contacts/intermediaries including global and peer firms and counsel.
This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.
Key Skills and Experience - Strong academic credentials (J.D. required);
- Between 3 - 6 years of experience practicing in a law firm's family law group;
- California Bar membership (in good standing) required;
- Able to work as an integrated member of the family team, with a goal of strengthening and expanding the reputation of the family department;
- Proven ability to stay on top of a busy practice - including time recording, proactive deadline and matter management, and taking ownership of assigned projects - and doesn't require supervision in these areas;
- Demonstrates a genuine interest in contributing to the firm's success as a whole, including through mentorship of junior team members and development and refinement of firm processes;
- Inspires the confidence of clients, intermediaries and referral sources (internal and external); and
- Takes a practical approach to solving client problems, and is nimble in employing tools to implement these solutions.
For California, the expected salary range for this position is between $205,000 and $280,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.
