The coronavirus pandemic has impacted everyone. This includes the legal field. As the country and the world as a whole continues to grapple with major changes that are taking place during a public health crisis, family lawyers are going to find themselves in a unique position. There are going to be several challenges that they are going to have to address. The first of these involves family law marketing. In order to bring in new cases during the pandemic, digital marketing is going to be critical. By building a strong online presence, lawyers will be able to reach more people, particularly as internet traffic continues to rise. There are several other issues to keep in mind as well.
Issues with Child Custody During the Pandemic
One of the biggest challenges that families are going to have to face that might involve a lawyer involves child custody. Particularly for children who have split custody across vast geographic distances, these children may not want to move during the pandemic. This could represent unnecessary travel that could promote the spread of the virus, particularly with young people being a prominent reservoir for the virus. Therefore, it is important for family lawyers to take a closer look at child custody agreements and see whether children are required to move between homes and how the courts handle this issue.
How Court Hearings Are Going To Be Handled
One of the major issues that is going to impact the entire legal field, particularly family law, involves court hearings. Traditionally, court hearings are held in person. On the other hand, this might not be possible during the pandemic. How this is going to be handled is going to vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Therefore, it is critical for family law professionals to take a look at how their various jurisdictions are handling court hearings during this time. In some cases, court hearings might be pushed way down the road. In other cases, these hearings might be held virtually. It is critical for all lawyers to be prepared. Usually, virtual hearings are going to be reserved for emergency situations.
A Rise in the Number of Domestic Violence Cases
Sadly, one of the major developments that have been charted during the pandemic has been a dramatic rise in domestic violence cases. The reality is that as people are trapped in their homes, domestic violence is more likely. This is going to limit the escape routes for those who have been victims of abuse, which means that these cases are only going to escalate in their severity. Therefore, family lawyers need to be prepared for more issues involving domestic violence. It is critical to think about how they can protect people from harm during this time in addition to what avenues might be available given the current pandemic and how this is impacted by the court. When legal professionals think about these issues ahead of time, they place themselves in a better position to advocate for the best interests of their clients.
Family Lawyers Play a Critical Role During the Pandemic
These are just a few examples of the many issues that are going to impact family law during this time. Particularly with the coronavirus pandemic, this is something that is going to be with us until we have a vaccine available. Therefore, it is important for all lawyers to be prepared to deal with these serious issues. There are many people who are going to continue to count on the legal services of a professional to keep them safe and advocate for their rights during this time. When a family lawyer takes the time to prepare in advance, they are going to place themselves and their clients in a position to be successful.
