Imagine: Sunday Dinner with your Family. Everyone shares stories, there are chuckles and then someone mentions that a relative has a legal problem. It’s as if the room has become chilly. It is here that family attorneys come in. The family lawyers act as the glue to keep families together when things get tough.

They are much more involved than you might imagine. The scales are balanced every day by family lawyers, who deal with everything from child adoption to custody issues. There are many different aspects to this field, which is why it can be compared to a tapestry. Emotions, previous precedents and unpredictability all play a part.

When you are looking for an attorney to represent your family, where should you start? This is the old-fashioned advice to “ask everyone you know.” If you get a referral, it might be someone who knows not just the law, and can even translate it to something that’s less Klingon. It is important that they listen and not just talk. A lawyer’s job isn’t just to explain legalese. He or she will be with you for some of the most challenging times.

We’ll paint a picture using an anecdote. Imagine the situation of a single father fighting for custody. In this case, the lawyer will be his confidante, friend, ally and, sometimes, even impromptu counselor. Some attorneys are multi-faceted. Not only do they shred papers but also fight for real stories.

Has anyone ever encountered someone who was able to make an ugly situation more bearable with some humor? This is what a family lawyer of exceptional quality does. Knowing that running a court case can make you feel as if you are wearing shoes that are too small, they will help to ease the burden. To make the complicated feel manageable they will tell jokes to let clients know that humor is still part of life.

An education is another important factor. What about those courtroom shows where the lawyer pulls an animal out of a cap? That’s television, folks. There is no substitute for real-life experience. In order to keep their clients informed, family attorneys take the role as educators. A person’s perception of their situation may change when they have clarity.

Not to mention the paperwork. It’s a flood of documents that can overwhelm those who aren’t organized. Familie lawyers, like the Hercules Pourots of legal circles, cut right to the chase, protecting their clients from the paperwork tide.

We all shudder when we think about fees. Unexpected surprises are avoided with a family lawyer who is transparent. You’ll be able to understand their fee structure in plain language, without any jargon.

The dynamic of our culture is always changing. Next thing you know, your child’s support is a concern. In such moments, the family lawyer is the only person we can turn to.

At the end of the day, it comes down to empathy, understanding and fighting in court. Many would describe this as a carefully choreographed battle. As needed, the lawyers will step in and allow their client to take charge of his own life. Legal work is not all that it seems. A partnership of trust and common goals underpins the relationship, showing the importance of human connections at the heart the law.