When it comes to legal matters, attorneys tend to focus their efforts on one or two particular areas of the law in order to to hone their expertise and provide exceptional service to clients in a more specific fashion. One such area of the law that some might choose to pursue is family law. Rusty Applegate is a South Carolina attorney who has been practicing family law for more than three decades, and he’ll be the first to admit that this particular line of practice comes with its fair share of ups and downs.
So what exactly is family law? Family law is the branch of the law that governs all legal matters pertaining to families and family relationships. When some people hear the term “family law,” they tend to assume that it simply refers to divorce and child custody battles. But in reality, the practice of family law encompasses much, much more. An attorney who practices family law can represent clients on matters such as adoption, paternity testing, domestic violence, child abuse, prenuptial agreements, and matters pertaining to unwed couples of the same or opposite sex.
Of course, the average attorney who specializes in family law is likely to spend much of his time helping clients with divorce proceedings, as divorce is, unfortunately, a rather common (and growing) trend throughout the United States. However, it is important to realize that attorneys who practice family law are actually well-equipped to deal with a variety of family-related legal matters. It is also vital that people understand that when it comes to legal family issues, the details and limitations of the law can vary greatly from state to state. For this reason, always consult an attorney who is intimately familiar with family law as it pertains to his specific area of practice and jurisdiction.
As someone who has worked on a vast number of family cases, Rusty Applegate truly enjoys what he does; however, practicing family law is not always easy. For one thing, his line of work exposes him to a world of untamed emotions. From distraught parents to abused children, Applegate has tackled some situations that might appear to have been taken straight out of a television drama series. Considering that Rusty is a family man himself, he often has a difficult time keeping his emotions in check. In fact, one of the greatest challenges involved in practicing family law is the fact that attorneys are expected to offer moral support in addition to legal advice, while emotionally separating themselves from the various situations at hand. The fact of the matter is that when many clients seek attorneys for matters pertaining to family law, they are looking not only for legal representation, but for people who will essentially act as their emotional therapists of sort. Therefore, in order to practice family law, one must develop a method of striking that ideal balance between attorney and friend.
As difficult as it might to practice family law, Applegate understands that in any given scenario, his clients and their family members are bound to suffer the most. He therefore cannot help but emphasize the importance of seeking a seasoned attorney for matters relating to family law. While some legal scenarios can technically be handled without the assistance of an attorney, Applegate believes that when families and emotions are at stake, no person should ever have to fight alone. So whether you’re facing a potentially-positive situation like adoption or a psychologically-draining divorce, you should know that family law attorneys out there who truly want to help.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
