The legal industry, as with most industries, is constantly in a state of flux. As the economic stability of our society changes, so too do the legal needs of individuals and companies. At the same time, government legislation can have a trickle down effect, causing a surge in the number of individual legal actions taken during any given period. These are the kind of changes that affect the practice of law as a whole and particularly family law.
Not surprisingly, changes in income can directly affect the ability of families to stay together or to expand and that can have a major effect on the divorce industry specifically. In recent years, when the economy was in a downward spiral, this made it more difficult for people to earn a living even as their cost of living continues to rise. The result was an increase in people seeking legal services even though according to the statistics, the divorce rate has actually declined over the last decade.
This increase in legal cases could be traced in part to a surge in couples and families seeking adoption. With that trend in place, the legal industry has been buoyed considerably. This same trend has been partly responsible for keeping up the profits in the area of family law despite the decline in divorces. More family lawyers are finding themselves handling these kinds of cases rather than the dissolution of marriages.
Another major change that has directly affected the divorce industry is the surge of legislation hitting the books involving the LGBT community. With more and more gay marriage laws being enacted, there is an increased need for legal services by gay, bi-sexual and transgender individuals who find themselves fighting for their rights, whether in terms of marriage, parenthood or other issues.
As you can imagine, this has opened the door to a whole new area of family law and with it a whole new set of challenges being faced by the legal industry. Almost every day there are brand new inroads being made in the law and that means a wide range of openings for legal action. Family lawyers and other legal professionals are finding themselves expanding their reach and often having to set new precedents in their ongoing fight for justice.
Still another hot button issue that has had a surprising effect on the divorce industry is the subject of health insurance. As individuals and families struggle to find affordable healthcare and to work around existing insurance rules and regulations, this can sometimes force their hands, requiring them to take drastic action in order to simply receive the healthcare they need. This can often become a mitigating factor in divorce cases.
It is important for all members of the legal industry to stay on top of these and other changes in order to provide their clients with the best possible legal advice. For lawyers, mediators and paralegals this means keeping abreast of the changes in our society, remaining ever vigilant as to what developments like these could mean in terms of legal trends.
Society is constantly shifting and those changes can drastically affect the entire legal system. As you can see, the law is truly a living, breathing entity, moving and shifting with the times. And these times are bringing their own unique wave of legal issues in both the corporate and family arenas. This is the particular challenge that must be met by anyone opting to practice family law.
