Practice’s Second Decade is one of those areas where the practitioners who actually do the work are usually too busy to write about it, and the ones who write about it tend to do less of it. This piece tries to split the difference.
For family-law attorneys who have decided they want to do more of this work and are looking for an honest map of the territory rather than a marketing piece.
Practical reality for litigators: Practice’s Second Decade work often becomes evidence. Memos written during analysis can show up in depositions; assumptions baked into early analyses get cross-examined. Family-law attorneys handling Practice’s Second Decade should write analytical work as if it might be read by opposing counsel — because in contested matters, it often is.
What clients ask first about Practice’s Second Decade
Clients usually have an implicit theory of what Practice’s Second Decade can do for them — sometimes wildly optimistic, sometimes pessimistic. The early conversation should surface that theory and address it. A client who thinks the engagement will solve a problem the analytical framework can’t actually solve will be disappointed regardless of the technical quality of the work.
Many clients come to Practice’s Second Decade matters expecting binary answers (yes or no, this number or that number). The reality is usually ranges, probability-weighted scenarios, and contingent recommendations. Helping the client adjust to that reality at intake — rather than at the deliverable — produces a better engagement.
The mistakes that recur
Many family-law attorneys undervalue their work in Practice’s Second Decade matters because they’re comparing their hours to their general practice rather than to other specialists in the area. The right comparison is to others doing the same work, not to your past general practice. Practitioners who recalibrate their pricing against the right peer group price their work appropriately.
Practitioners new to Practice’s Second Decade often underestimate how much of the work is communication rather than analysis. The analytical conclusions matter, but the way they’re presented to the client, the attorney, and (if relevant) the court determines whether the work produces the outcome the client wanted. Polishing the report and the explanation is a substantial portion of the engagement.
What’s different now from five years ago
Practice’s Second Decade has shifted in three meaningful ways over the past five to seven years. First, the volume of data available in most matters has grown dramatically — bank, brokerage, retirement, and credit records are routinely available in electronic form, which both enables deeper analysis and creates more work to organize. Second, the regulatory and tax environment has shifted (most notably the 2019 federal alimony tax change for divorces). Third, the client population has become more sophisticated; clients increasingly come to Practice’s Second Decade matters having done meaningful online research. For deeper reference, see ABA Family Law Section resources.
Software for family-law attorneys working in Practice’s Second Decade has improved significantly in the past five years. The standard tools handle case management, document organization, billing, and coordination far better than they did a decade ago. Practitioners who haven’t updated their tooling stack in the past three or four years are usually working harder than they need to.
A framework for deciding
Considering Practice’s Second Decade as a focus area is a five-year decision, not a one-year decision. Practitioners who commit to a year and then evaluate usually conclude the area isn’t producing returns — because year one almost never does. The decision is really about whether you’re willing to invest the next five years.
A simple test: do the matters in Practice’s Second Decade that you’ve already handled interest you? Practitioners who genuinely enjoy the analytical work and the relational dynamics tend to build sustainable practices in Practice’s Second Decade; practitioners who found the matters tedious tend not to, regardless of the market opportunity.
The practitioners we see succeed in Practice’s Second Decade share a few habits: they show up consistently at the same professional events, they invest in templates and infrastructure, they keep peer relationships current, and they treat each matter as a chance to refine their approach.
How VennBoard fits in
If you’re building a focus on Practice’s Second Decade, the case-management infrastructure matters more than most practitioners think going in. VennBoard is built specifically for family-law-adjacent practitioners and handles the document organization, the multi-party coordination, and the engagement-management that makes long-arc matters manageable.
Learn more about how VennBoard fits into a family law attorney practice focused on Practice’s Second Decade at VennBoard.com.