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Job outlook for family lawyers in the United States
Are family lawyer jobs in demand?
Family lawyer job and salary trends over time
Family lawyer jobs over time
Family lawyer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 45 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 45 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 44 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 43 | 0.00% |
Average family lawyer salary over time
Family lawyer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,704 | $33.99 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $68,492 | $32.93 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $67,350 | $32.38 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $66,426 | $31.94 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $65,819 | $31.64 | +2.0% |
Family lawyer jobs by state
Most common states for family lawyers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 77 | 6% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 240 | 4% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 27 | 4% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 25 | 4% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 248 | 3% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 208 | 3% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 188 | 3% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 121 | 3% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 95 | 3% |
| 10 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 78 | 3% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 38 | 3% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 22 | 3% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 301 | 2% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 225 | 2% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 195 | 2% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 139 | 2% |
| 17 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 135 | 2% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 69 | 2% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 19 | 2% |
| 20 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 14 | 2% |
Most common cities for family lawyers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $84,317 |
Family Lawyer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of family lawyer experts
Suffolk University
University of Georgia
Oakland University
Seton Hall University School of Law
Arizona State University
What general advice would you give to a Family Lawyer?
Andrele St. Val: You can maximize your salary potential by learning how to negotiate and then being sure you do it. Know that employers will try to pay you the minimum. Know your worth, even when starting out, and ask for it. Also, take the time to harness your skills. This can be in the form of becoming an expert in your area of the law or sharpening your 'soft skills' like negotiations.
Michael Bolden Former First Justice/Boston Municipal Court/Retired
Suffolk University
Law
What general advice would you give to a Family Lawyer?
Michael Bolden Former First Justice/Boston Municipal Court/Retired: While maximizing a salary is an important consideration for all of us, my experience is that money alone will not be enough to overcome a miserable work environment. It is my advice that one must balance compensation with a healthy work environment. That being said, your best strategy to maximize your compensation was when you were in school. Emphasize your diversity of experience (clinical programs, internships and work experience even nonlegal jobs). Think about the fact that there will be many candidates for the job you're seeking. Ask yourself 'why should you be hired over all the other candidates. Everyone looks good on paper, what do you bring to the table that the other candidates do not. Speaking a second language or studying abroad are examples of how you can distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. Finally, do your homework and find out what the realistic salary range is being offered. Then using the above experiences, you can argue why you should be considered for the higher compensation.
What Family Lawyer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Bolden Former First Justice/Boston Municipal Court/Retired: It is hard to predict what areas of law will become prevalent in the next few years, my advice to young attorneys is to train to become a quick study and nimble so you can pivot to new areas of law going forward. Also, make this willingness to learn new things known to your supervisor so they can support you in your willingness to stay current.
What will help Family Lawyers increase their earning potential?
Michael Bolden Former First Justice/Boston Municipal Court/Retired: My general advice to a graduate beginning their career in the law would be.....Do not think you have to make your ultimate career decision in your first job. As time goes on you may find out that what you thought you liked is not fulfilling and giving you the satisfaction you were hoping to get by being a lawyer. Give yourself permission to make a change in your career path while you hone your skills and gain experience. As a result, as you go forward keep your eyes and options open so you may end up in a place where you are getting the satisfaction you dreamed about practicing law.
What will help Family Lawyers increase their earning potential?
Brian Mink: Attorneys will spend less time on repetitive work product like contract drafting and research. It will be more important for attorneys to develop skills like understanding clients' businesses, project management, team management, vendor interaction, and effectively using AI.
What general advice would you give to a Family Lawyer?
Jennifer Thor: There are many ways to maximize your salary in this career field. First and foremost, is to keep your GPA up. GPA is a huge factor that law schools consider when making admissions decisions. Second, try and get some experience. Intern in an HR department; shadow a lawyer who practices in an area of law you are interested in; see if the local court takes on interns or maybe the local prosecutor's office; or volunteer with a civil rights organization that is fighting for principles that you care about. Lastly, improve your leadership skills. Join a campus group and help them achieve their goals. You do not have to become the president of the group, but you could maybe take on the chair of a committee.
What Family Lawyer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer Thor: The most important skill they can learn is effective communication. Legal Studies students need to be able to communicate both in writing and verbally. This is a skill that has always been an important one for legal studies students and it will be necessary in the future as well. Although AI can help with the drafting of certain documents and emails, it will not be able to help with client meetings, board presentations, arguing before a jury, and writing legal briefs. Taking advantage of courses offered at their university that improve their writing and speaking skills will make them a valuable asset to any organization they join.
What will help Family Lawyers increase their earning potential?
Jennifer Thor: First, Oakland University does not have a legal studies degree; however, through our Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, students have been able to create their own legal studies program combining legal courses across multiple disciplines. The majority of legal studies students tend to go to law school after graduation. They typically want to continue learning about the law in order to become a lawyer. So for those graduates, I highly recommend speaking with a pre-law adviser as they begin their junior year. That adviser will give them information about taking the LSAT and what that student will need to do to make sure their application to law school is in perfect order. For those students who do not want to go to law school, but who want to work in a law firm, I recommend that they obtain a paralegal certificate. The combination of the law courses in their bachelor's degree and the procedural courses offered in a paralegal program will make that individual very attractive to law firms. Lastly, for those students who don't want to go to law school or work in a law firm, their legal studies degree is still very valuable. Many jobs require at least some understanding of the law. For example, working in HR requires knowledge about the various federal and state employment laws that impact wages and benefits. It also requires a general understanding of contract law and the law regarding workplace discrimination. Individuals working in a purchasing department need to understand contract law and depending on the type of items being purchased an understanding of the Uniform Commercial Code as well. I recommend that these students investigate different career paths and meet with their Career and Life Coaches on campus.
June Forrest
Assistant Dean of Career ServicesSeton Hall University School of Law
Office of Career Services
What skills stand out on Family Lawyer resumes?
June Forrest: Experiential skills stand out---reading, research, and writing skills that have been honed through judicial and other externships or summer positions stand out on the resumes of students seeking first jobs. In the trenches, litigation skills and other practice skills stand out on the resumes of lawyers seeking new gigs. Everyone wants an experienced lawyer who can present their case and win!
What soft skills should all Family Lawyers possess?
June Forrest: Communication is the most important skill for a lawyer---being able to communicate clearly, concisely, and understanding a client is a great skill to develop and have. Being able to think quickly on your feet and creatively to fashion an argument is important. And, of course, having good judgment is important! So too, lawyers work hard, so having determination is important too---and understanding people--both clients, adversaries, judges, juries. Good people skills are the mark of any great lawyer---and so is a good sense of humor! Lawyers are people, and clients are people. Likable lawyers do best out there----do you want to work around someone grumpy or a team player? Do you want a lawyer who is annoyed to take your call or who welcomes your questions? Being “likable” goes a long way in terms of success in the workplace.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Family Lawyers?
June Forrest: Lawyers need to be able to read, research, write. Those are both hard and soft skills. Being familiar with new technology used in discovery and in the courtroom is important too---law schools are devoting whole classes to that kind of technology now.
What experience really stands out on Family Lawyer resumes?
Adam Chodorow: Law firms often say that they are looking for practice-ready attorneys - that is, attorneys who can come in and contribute on day one. The fact is - no matter how much experience law students get, there will always be a steep learning curve once they graduate. With that said, externships and summer positions in the field the students want to practice in will help students along that curve and signal to employers that they truly are interested in the type of work an employer does. Thus, those interested in criminal law should try to get externships and summer positions as prosecutors or with the public defenders' office or defense firms; those interested in family law might try to get an externship with a judge working on family law.