Online Courses in Family Law: Course and Class Descriptions

Courses in family law are most commonly available online through a number of colleges' paralegal programs. Through these distance-learning programs, which often lead to a certificate, students learn the basics of working as a paralegal with a focus on the different laws surrounding families and marriage.

Summary of Online Family Law Courses

Family law is only one aspect of paralegal programs and is often studied as an elective in a basic certificate curriculum; however, some schools offer online advanced or specialist paralegal certificate programs that focus specifically on family law. Many other courses can be taken that will aide the paralegal who works with families. Some of the course topics students may consider are juvenile law, trusts and probates, civil court proceedings and women's laws.
Although online family law courses are typically encountered as part of paralegal programs, some law schools offer online coursework in the topic for law students. The two course types cover similar subject matter but differ in perspective, since the latter is intended for future law practitioners rather than legal assistants.

Course Requirements

High-speed Internet access is a must for any online college course. With some of the programs, audio and video is used, so software for playing media is required. Students often use message boards to ask questions and discuss topics with instructors and classmates. E-mails are also used to converse with instructors.

Online Family Law Courses and Related Courses

Family Law Course

By watching audio and video lectures, students can take this online course about marriage and families from anywhere at anytime. Students study divorce, custodial rights, guardianship, violence in families, settlements and child support. This course familiarizes students with documentation and the laws that surround families, marriages and divorce.
Students are confronted with controversial family laws and how the law works in the favor of spouses, in regards to issues such as the right to die, surrogate parenting, abortion, adoption, alternative marriages and fetal tissue transfer. Examination of how society looks at these rights may be considered.

Juvenile Law Course

This course provides students with a look at juvenile delinquency and the laws surrounding children. Paralegals must understand the proceedings of family court and how children are tried by this court. Students learn about foster care, the duties of probation officers and how paralegals help obtain evidence. Depending on the course, students may research abuse and protection laws and how the 14th amendment protects children.

Civil Litigations Course

Students use this online course to learn the ins and outs of civil court hearings. Through online readings, students learn the role of paralegals in court proceedings, discovering how to conduct client interviews, obtain evidence and visit the home. Students also learn how to draft motion papers and fill out pleadings. Students may research alternative methods to solving disputes, such as mediation and negotiation.

Wills and Estates Course

This course can be taken at any point in a paralegal program due to its introductory nature. Students use this course to learn the basics of estates, probates, wills and life insurance. Through online readings and lectures, students gain an understanding of the chain of succession and estate planning tools. Sample cases are looked at online.

Women and Law Course

This course covers topics that often confront women, such as reproductive rights, sexual harassment, domestic violence and sexual discrimination. On a family-law view of this topic, alternative marriages, divorce rights, custodial rights and women as surrogate mothers may also be examined.