Family Law Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

WhitsonLaw is seeking an experienced Family Law Associate Attorney who combines strong legal judgment with thoughtful, disciplined advocacy.

Our practice emphasizes mediation, collaborative law, negotiated resolution, and other constructive approaches to family conflict. We understand that the way a family-law matter is handled can affect clients and their families long after the legal proceeding has ended, particularly when children, continuing family relationships, financial security, or personal safety are involved.

That philosophy does not mean avoiding difficult issues or litigation. Effective resolution requires command of the facts and the law, careful preparation, strategic judgment, persuasive negotiation, and the ability to identify what truly matters to the client. It also requires knowing when cooperative resolution is no longer appropriate and being prepared to advocate decisively in court.

We are not looking for an attorney who simply processes a caseload. We are looking for a composed, capable advocate who takes meaningful ownership of client matters, anticipates what comes next, communicates candidly, and can guide clients through difficult decisions with clarity and confidence.

The successful candidate will be expected to think critically, identify legal and factual risk early, develop and advance a coherent case strategy, and work collaboratively with attorneys, paralegals, and other professionals to move matters toward thoughtful and durable resolution.

Compensation:

$130,000+ at plan

Responsibilities:

• Assume meaningful ownership of assigned matters from initial assessment through final resolution, maintaining visibility into strategy, deadlines, outstanding issues, client needs, and next steps.

• Analyze the facts, applicable law, jurisdictional and procedural considerations, available evidence, and client objectives to develop a clear and defensible case strategy.

• Identify threshold legal and procedural issues early, including matters that could materially affect jurisdiction, venue, custody, financial rights, discovery, evidentiary development, or the timing and direction of the case.

• Recognize when additional facts, legal research, documentation, expert input, or supervisory consultation are required before providing definitive advice.

• Counsel clients regarding available options, legal and practical risks, likely consequences, and recommended courses of action without overstating certainty or simply reinforcing the client’s preferred position.

• Identify opportunities for mediation, collaborative resolution, negotiated settlement, and other constructive solutions while remaining prepared to pursue litigation when necessary to protect the client’s rights, safety, financial security, or relationship with their children.

• Conduct focused legal research and analyze discovery, financial records, communications, court filings, and other evidence to identify facts that materially affect strategy and outcome.

• Draft clear, accurate, and persuasive pleadings, motions, discovery demands and responses, memoranda, settlement agreements, stipulations, orders, judgments, and substantive client communications.

• Establish meaningful goals, deadlines, decision points, and next steps for assigned matters and consistently advance cases toward resolution.

• Prepare thoroughly for negotiations, mediations, collaborative proceedings, conferences, depositions, hearings, and trials.

• Anticipate opposing positions and procedural strategies and prepare the client and legal team accordingly.

• Maintain consistent, substantive communication with clients so they understand the status of their matter, the decisions before them, the risks associated with available options, and what is required of them.

• Deliver difficult advice with candor and compassion and help clients distinguish between emotionally understandable positions and legally or strategically sound decisions.

• Provide paralegals and legal assistants with clear assignments, sufficient context, and realistic deadlines, while remaining accountable for appropriate attorney review, follow-through, and progression of delegated work.

• Identify workload or deadline conflicts early and communicate them before they compromise client service, court obligations, or quality of work.

• Maintain complete and reliable case records, including material developments, strategic decisions, substantive client communications, deadlines, and next steps.

• Record all billable and administrative time contemporaneously, accurately, and with sufficient detail to reflect the nature, purpose, and value of the work performed.

• Contribute to the development of the legal team by sharing knowledge, collaborating on difficult matters, and providing thoughtful guidance and mentorship to support staff.

• Earn and maintain the confidence of clients, colleagues, referral sources, opposing counsel, and the court through sound judgment, preparation, professionalism, respectful advocacy, and consistently high-quality work.

Qualifications:

• Admission to practice law in New York and current good standing with the New York State Bar.

• At least two years of substantive family-law experience in a law firm or comparable legal practice setting.

• Working knowledge of New York matrimonial and family law, applicable procedural requirements, court rules, and practice before New York courts.

• Experience handling divorce, child custody and parenting matters, child support, spousal maintenance, and the identification, valuation, and equitable distribution of marital property.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex factual circumstances, identify material legal issues, and distinguish between matters requiring immediate action, further investigation, legal research, or strategic consultation.

• Experience assuming meaningful responsibility for matters from initial consultation through negotiated resolution, mediation, hearing, or trial.

• Strong legal research, analytical, and drafting skills, including experience preparing pleadings, motions, discovery, settlement agreements, orders, judgments, and substantive client communications.

• Experience preparing for and participating in negotiations, mediation, settlement conferences, hearings, and other forms of dispute resolution.

• Sound judgment regarding when constructive resolution remains appropriate and when litigation is necessary.

• Strong courtroom advocacy skills and the ability to remain composed, strategic, and persuasive in emotionally charged or adversarial circumstances.

• Excellent client-counseling skills, including the ability to explain complicated legal, financial, and procedural issues clearly and candidly.

• Demonstrated ability to manage deadlines, competing priorities, and a substantive caseload while maintaining reliable client communication and consistent case progression.

• Ability to work effectively with paralegals, legal assistants, financial professionals, mental-health professionals, parenting specialists, experts, and other participants in the family-law process.

• High standards of professional ethics, discretion, accountability, and respect for clients, colleagues, opposing counsel, and the court.

Additional Experience We Value

• Mediation certification or substantial mediation experience.

• Formal collaborative-law training or a demonstrated interest in developing collaborative-practice expertise.

• Criminal-law, domestic-violence, child-protection, or other relevant litigation experience.

• Participation in relevant state, local, or national bar-association sections or professional organizations.

About Company

WhitsonLaw PLLC is a New York family law firm focused on collaborative divorce and mediation—designed for clients who want resolution with dignity, clarity, and lasting peace. We guide clients through a structured process that clarifies priorities, organizes information, and supports durable agreements that hold up in real life—not just on paper.

We pair compassionate counsel with disciplined execution: clear strategy, strong preparation, timely communication, and efficient workflows that respect both the emotional and financial realities of divorce. When additional support is needed, we make warm introductions to a curated network of trusted professionals—financial, parenting, therapeutic, and other experts—so clients are supported from every angle as they move into their next chapter.