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Are female divorce lawyers better or at a disadvantage in the practice of family law?

The late singer, performer, and soul icon, James Brown, coined the phrase, “This is a man’s world.” In many aspects women continue pressing to overcome professional and social limitations established by centuries of a male dominated legal profession. Many female attorneys have found success and longevity in the area of family law. People tend to forget that divorce and family law issues, unlike other legal matters, usually involve a male-female dispute.

Some time ago in a conversation about hiring a divorce lawyer, a female acquaintance of mine, who experienced a recent divorce, mentioned that she preferred male attorneys. She stated that she chose her attorney because she felt, “he had a sense of arrogance and a no nonsense look.” She continued to explain that, in her opinion, most female divorce attorneys do not possess an aggressive instinct. In my mind, I started questioning how many people had a similar thought process and image of female divorce attorneys.

Here are two reasons why I believe women practicing family law may be at an advantage.

1) Nature – On average, women spend more time discussing and thinking about matters of family and relationships than men do. In other words, we know family and relationships. It’s in our DNA. Women, by nature, tend to be more interested in relationships and their outcomes than men are. This translates into success when communicating and dealing with our family law and divorce clients.

2) Aggressiveness – Female divorce attorneys tend to have more of a “take no prisoners” approach to family law. Some may think it’s because we have a chip on our shoulder, or we’re trying to prove ourselves in a male dominated profession. Those assumptions are simply false. Truthfully, women possess a strong desire to be “right”. Some of my more difficult challenges have come from opposing female counsel. My husband, a school administrator, always prefers to intervene in a fight between two males as opposed to two females. His reasoning being, “Female fights can be vicious.”

I am sure that the misguided beliefs held by my acquaintance are not uncommon. In the chorus of James Brown’s song, “It’s a Man’s World”, the singer draws listeners to the conclusion that this man’s world “wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” What would the practice of family law be without female attorneys?

By: Alesia Vick

Divorce is the term used to refer to the legal dissolution of marriage. Divorce involves a lot of mental trauma apart from the obvious financial strains. Couples undergoing divorce require considerable support and understanding from their colleagues and their family. Most divorces cost thousands of dollars and take months to complete. A significant part of the costs involved in divorce proceedings is the fees to be paid to the attorneys involved. There are many attorneys who specialize as divorce lawyers for men.

Typically, in any divorce case, the needs of the husbands are different from that of the wives. Husbands also have to deal with substantial financial strain apart from the attorney fees. Alimony is a major factor in divorce proceedings, from the point of view of the male partner. A fair calculation of the alimony amount is essential to protect the husband’s interests. It especially becomes complicated when the couple has children, due to the custody issues that have to be sorted out. To protect his rights, it is necessary that the male partner involved in a divorce engages a lawyer who focuses on handling divorce cases for men.

ADAM or American Divorce Association for Men is an organization that deals with divorce issues faced by men. It ensures that the man knows his legal rights and various other facets of the separation such as child custody, child support and alimony – and what he is legally obliged to with each.

Divorce attorneys discuss the different legal options available, in detail, with their clients. They counsel them on the various options available to them during the divorce proceedings. It is important for men seeking divorce to get sound legal advice in order to secure their finances in the future. During a divorce, the family finances may be examined and divided by the court. Good divorce attorneys can provide advice on parenting plans after the divorce, keeping the best interests of the father and the children. They can also refer and recommend counselors and therapists, who can help the family get through the difficult times.

By: Kent Pinkerton