Family Law Litigation

This text is intended for use in an upper-level or advanced family law course that focuses on the family law litigation process. It presumes that students have either completed or will simultaneously take an introductory level family law course that will introduce students to basic family law concepts and doctrines. The text walks students through a family law (dissolution of marriage) case from start to finish. All of the stages of family law litigation, including drafting pleadings, financial disclosures, discovery, motion practice, mediation, and settlement, are covered. A hypothetical case file is provided to instructors to support a semester-long simulated case exercise. Students engage in all of the lawyering tasks necessary to successfully litigate a family law case from start to finish, including interviewing and counseling clients, arguing in court, and negotiating and drafting settlements. All aspects of divorce practice will be covered, including child custody and support, spousal support, and property division. This approach complements the movement in legal education toward more experiential learning, and will also help to satisfy ABA and State Bar experiential learning requirements, as well as helping students to be better prepared to practice law upon graduation.