Finding a Specialist

Approximately eight states or state bar associations certify attorneys as specialists in family law (as of 2005). The requirements for certification of specialists vary from state to state, but usually require several years of experience in the area of specialty and demonstration of knowledge in the area, such as through an examination (beyond the basic bar examination necessary for lawyers in most states). The eight states that certify specialists in family law or domestic relations are: Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas.

In states without official certification of specialists, lawyers often specialize; they are just not officially recognized as specialists by a state licensing agency or bar association. (In many states, lawyers may advertise that they have been certified by a private organization.)

There is a national organization that also certifies family law specialists. It is called the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The academy is a private organization. It has more than 1,500 members. In order to become a member of the academy, a lawyer needs to have devoted 75 percent or more of his or her practice to family law for a period of at least ten years. Written or oral examinations are required, along with recommendations from judges and other lawyers. Membership in the academy does not automatically guarantee that the lawyer is good, but it does mean the lawyer has substantial experience in family law.