From the Single Mom's Law School Experience, then "Almost Attorney" to FINALLY an Esquire!: What I have learned in Family Law

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

What I have learned in Family Law

So, this is not intended as legal advice. But sometimes what we learn in law school is useful and have had me pondering life in the future.

If you want to live with someone, don't. Co-habitating is a bad idea. Why you may ask? I am not talking about moral reasons, I am speaking from purely legal ones. When you split up, the court will not get involved with money owed or with who owns what property. Of course, you can mitigate this by contracting around it, but even then there are pitfalls and problems.

As for marriage, Oregon's property division laws can be pretty harsh. Marital assests and property are to be divided equally. And sometimes even property you owned before the marriage. What I have learned is that I should keep everything seperate and keep meticulous records so that I can prove in court that I never intended to share my property with my spouse. Then maybe I will be able to keep it.

1 comment:

Jasmine R-W.November 26, 2012 at 6:43 PM
Hahaha...the things you learn when dealing with family law that may make you seem like a big ol' creep in real life. I have been thinking the same thing "next time around I'm gonna keep better documentation!" Haha, what a shame!
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FAQ

Lots of people ask me: how do you do it? How do you attend law school and raise a child alone? My answer is simply that you prioritize. You approach school as an 8 to 5 job. I take Friday evenings and Saturday's off. Study a bit on Sundays. For me this works. It means not being a part of the "social" things at school, and that time between your classes is in the library studying. But that's okay. You will have different goals then the students who are single with no children.

How do you afford it? Student loans........yes, you heard me. My reasoning is that my earning capacity will double, but likely triple, which means that I can afford to take on the debt to pay for a better future for my daughter and I.

Does you daughter resent you studying? No. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but she really does understand the bigger picture. She is my biggest supporter. I have learned to include her by taking her to class with me when I can, by having her help me study with flash cards, and by taking her to appropriate events at school. In fact, I did an incoming student panel one year, and the administration of the school had her speak as well. We are a team, and that includes this journey.