Choosing where to practice Family Law involves careful consideration. Whether your firm is launching or expanding into a new state, understanding local laws, demographics, and case volume trends can help you make a strategic decision. Below are three factors to consider.
State Laws
Laws pertaining to Family Law practice areas, such as divorce, alimony, child support, adoptions, and more, are decided at the state level. Depending on your firm’s target audience, finding states that align with your clients’ goals can help your firm grow a caseload that aligns with your expertise.
For example, if your firm focuses on representing fathers in custody or support cases, states like Kentucky or Minnesota, which emphasize shared parenting, may offer a more favorable legal environment. Alternatively, firms that prioritize representing mothers might find more alignment in states such as Mississippi or Alabama, where courts may be more inclined toward traditional custody arrangements.
Population
Another consideration for deciding which state to open a family law practice is the state population. States with large urban populations, such as California, New York, or Texas, naturally see more family law cases due to the sheer number of residents. A higher population can lead to increased demand for services such as divorce, custody arrangements, and, child support.
Divorce Statistics
Another consideration is readily available divorce statistics. States like Nevada, Wyoming, and Mississippi report some of the highest divorce rates in the country. While a number of factors can influence this number, keeping in mind the rate of divorce in a new state can help determine the success of your firm.
When it comes to opening or expanding a Family Law firm, growing your caseload is vital to its success. Legal lead generation services can accelerate that growth. eGen offers Family Law leads nationwide, with the ability to narrow down targeting to a state and city level. To learn more about our Family Law leads, contact us today!
Sources:
https://www.jackmanfirm.com/best-worst-states-for-fathers-rights/
https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/ranking-tables/