This nuts-and-bolts guide boasts an invaluable array of forms, checklists and procedures for every aspect of family law practice, from beginning to end. Mark Chinn, an experienced family lawyer, has divided the documents into chapters that follow the typical progress of a case. This logical organization structure will help you locate specific forms quickly and easily, and look ahead to what other documents might be needed for the current case. The forms, checklists, and policies in the book are available online so they can be downloaded and customized for your own legal practice.

Form letters are designed to inform clients of the process. These letters explain each element of the discovery process, rights and obligations of filing and answering complaints and discovery, the trial process and the settlement process. These forms can assist the lawyer with malpractice prevention, but also make the law office more efficient and profitable.

Checklists help make sure that you've considered every aspect of the process, and provide a reminder for your staff of the tasks they are responsible for have been completed. They help create uniformity of procedures in the law office. The checklists cover the entire range of the divorce process, including conflict management, client deposition preparation, cancelling a hearing, taking a file over from another lawyer, and many more.

Policies and procedures offer practice-tested approaches benefit of firms, such as codes of conduct for the lawyers and policies for taking a case from another lawyer.

Topics include:

• Client intake: questionnaires, contracts for different billing options, screening script, and nonrepresentation letter
• Initial stages of representation: letters, questionnaire, and case analysis short form
• Administrative tasks: checklists, letters, firm scheduling rules, and relevant policies
• Case management: motion, letters, file audit, and organizational policy for evaluating and handling cases
• Settlement: checklists and letters
• Mediation: client letters, checklists and tracking sheet
• Discovery: checklists and attorney and client letters
• Litigation: checklists, letters, notice of temporary hearing, and expert engagement letter
• Trial: checklists, instruction sheet, and letters
• File closing and post-closing: checklists, exit interview and warnings form, letters to client and to file