|
To be appointed or elected to be a family law judge an attorney must have been in practice several years. The family law judge will preside over family law matters in court, usually hearing child custody cases and divorce cases. A family law judge may also decided cases that involve parental rights termination and questionable paternity. They are in a position to decide financial matters for people with family law cases. One example of a duty they might perform is to decide whether or not to order child or spousal support and may even decide the amount that should be awarded. Sometimes they hear cases involving neglect and abuse. A family law judge has the job of applying the law in their jurisdiction to the attorneys, families, and any other parties that come before them in court. Generally, this means presiding over hearings, trials, and making a decision that is fair and in accordance with the laws in their own jurisdiction. When presiding over a case and before making their decision the family law judge will: • Listen to both sides of the case before they hand down their judgment • Listen to the testimony of the parties and witnesses involved in the case They often act as a referee in courtroom. One example is if there is a dispute between attorneys, the family law judge will take steps to settle the dispute. They quell any outbursts in court and work to ensure that the court proceedings follow an order that is acceptable. The family law judge will also rule if evidence is admissible in court or not. An example of this is if a party in a child custody cases or divorce wants to submit a journal as evidence for their case or against the other party the family law judge will decide if it can be used as evidence. If they allow it as evidence, they will say how it can be used. Every jurisdiction has standard regulations and rules for handling family law cases but in certain situations, a judge may have to rule on something for which he has no standards to follow. If this is the case, the family law judge may have the authority to establish standards that are in keeping with the jurisdiction laws. A family law judge is charged with making life-altering decisions for others such as deciding which parent will have custody of the children after divorce and granting divorces. Some family law judges also have behind-the-scene duties such as performing legal research and reviewing legal documents in their private chambers. They may also meet with attorneys to hold hearing in their chambers instead of in the courtroom. They may also write legal opinions and may supervise court personnel.
Related Articles -
Divorce lawyers, Family law, child custody cases, Divorce attorneys, Custody attorneys, divorce cases,
| 
