How do lawyers think about and make the important decisions that constitute the day-to-day practice of law? This book explores that question through an extensive empirical study of lawyers practicing divorce law in New England. The authors emphasize the importance of "collegial control" in shaping lawyers' decisions and identify a variety of "communities of practice" that serve as key agents of that control. Offering a new understanding of the nature of lawyers' work in divorce law as well as a new perspective on legal professionalism, this book is required reading for scholars, students, and practitioners.

Each year more than 2 million Americans get divorced, and most of them use a lawyer. In closed-door conversations between lawyers and their clients strategy is planned, tactics are devised, and the emotional climate of the divorce is established. Do lawyers contribute to the pain and emotional difficulty of divorce by escalating demands and encouraging unreasonable behavior? Do they take advantage of clients at a time of emotional difficulty? Can and should clients trust their lawyers to look out for their welfare and advance their long-term interests? Austin Sarat and William L. F. Felstiner's new book, based on a pioneering and intensive study of actual conferences between divorce lawyers and their clients, provides an unprecedented behind-the-scenes description of the lawyer-client relationship, and calls into question much of the conventional wisdom about what divorce lawyers actually do. Divorce Lawyers and Their Clients suggests that most divorces are marked less by a pattern of aggressive advocacy than by one of inaction and drift. It uncovers reasons why lawyers find divorce practice frustrating and difficult and why clients frequently feel dissatisfied with their lawyers. This new work provides a unique perspective on the dynamics of professionalism. It charts the complex and shifting ways lawyers and clients "negotiate" their relationship as they work out the strategy and tactics of divorce. Sarat and Felstiner show how both lawyers and clients are able to draw on resources of power to set the agenda of their interaction, while neither one is fully in charge. Rather, power shifts between the two parties; where it is achieved, power is found in the ability to have one's understandings of the social and legal worlds of divorce accepted. Power then works through the creation of shared meanings. Divorce Lawyers and Their Clients examines the effort to create such shared meanings about the nature of marriage and why marriages fail, the operation of the legal process, and the best way to bring divorces to closure. It will be fascinating reading for anyone who is going through a divorce, or has gone through one, as well as for lawyers, judges, and scholars of law and society.

This book provides concrete advice on how to orevent divorce from the real experts on the subject: divorce lawyers. Based in in-depth interviews wih 100 of America's leading divorce attorneys, The Divorce Lawyers' Guide To Staying Married explains why divorce occurs and what can be done to immunize today's marriages from the ever-growing divorce epidemic.

The authors look at how divorce lawyers work to address the question of legal professionalism in practice. Through a systematic study of legal practice at the micro-level, they show how lawyers create their own controls over work through their social relationships, formal and informal norms, common knowledge, and shared values. While much of the research on legal professionalism centers on the formal standards of the bar as reflected in codes of professional responsibility, the authors show how the discretionary judgments that lawyers make, and the choices they face, are actually understood in relation to norms and standards of other lawyers with whom they interact or compare themselves.

Prior to stepping onto the battlefield with a Narcissist, it is imperative to know their playbook both forwards and backwards. The behavior of individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder generally defies logic but sadly, their tactics in the Family Court System often fool Judges, Commissioners, Attorneys, Minor's Counsel, Social Workers, Therapists and even trained Evaluators. Narcissists are the masters of manipulation and projection and are known to launch stealth assaults that will leave their victims in an utter state of confusion and desperation. Victims are often left shattered and without a voice because they feel that no one could possibly believe or understand what they are silently enduring. Author, Tina Swithin, understands what it's like to divorce a narcissist. Tina spent over four years on the battlefield of the Family Court System while acting as her own attorney in a desperate attempt to protect her two young daughters. While Tina's first book, Divorcing a Narcissist: One Mom's Battle details Tina's personal journey and court battle, her new book offers solid advice and sanity-saving wisdom for transforming from victim to survivor. Education is power and Divorcing a Narcissist: Advice from the Battlefield is your personal guide and resource for navigating through high-conflict divorce. Receive advice for every stage of the battle: Leaving the Narcissist: Strategies and advice Divorcing: Advice on attorneys, tactical moves, courtroom preparation, anxiety/PTSD, evaluations and more. Narc Decoder: Learn to decode emails and communication. Children: Sharing custody, sheltering children and breaking the cycle. Life Beyond the Narcissist: Loving again, personal growth and healing. Stories of Hope Resources

Work of the Family Lawyer is a concise, accessible casebook that provides an integrated perspective on the theory and practice of family law. Its manageable size and stand-alone chapter organization supports a wide range of teaching options in either a classroom or clinical setting. Topics and issues are presented in historical and social context, supported by relevant social science research. Cases focus on legal principles and judicial reasoning, and provocative questions are designed to challenge students' understanding of relevant issues. The Third Edition offers updated cases and coverage of all topics. Pedagogy has been enhanced to include new learning objectives and a Preparation for Practice section has been added to sharpen the focus on skills exercises and professional development. Hallmark features of Work of the Family Lawyer: Flexible, stand-alone chapter organization supports a wide range of teaching approaches. Concise, accessible text appropriate for classroom or clinical settings. Brief introductory overviews of the topic of each chapter. Issues and Cases section places each case in historical and social context. Skillfully edited cases bring legal principles and judicial reasoning into sharp focus. Provocative discussion questions reinforce student understanding. Context and Principles sections toward the end of each chapter relate material to relevant social science research. The revised Third Edition offers: Updated cases and coverage. Enhanced pedagogy, including: New learning objectives. Highlighted black letter principles. A Preparation for Practice section focusing on skills exercises and professional development. Illuminating video vignettes on e-book or companion website.