Legal research software for family law attorneys

The right legal research software for a family law attorney searches state statutes and appellate decisions by jurisdiction, answers a plain English question with the source text, checks every citation in a draft, and costs a flat amount a small practice can predict. Family law is state law, so coverage of your state matters more than a long feature list.

Why family law research is different

Most family law questions turn on a state code and a handful of appellate cases: the factors for modifying custody, how a court divides retirement accounts, when spousal support can be changed, what notice a relocation requires. Federal materials matter at the edges, such as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act as adopted by each state, the Hague Convention on child abduction, and the federal rules for dividing retirement plans.

That mix means two things. First, you need the statute and the cases side by side, in your state. Second, the volume is high and the fees are modest, so a per-seat or per-search price that suits a large litigation team can eat a family practice alive.

What to check before you pay

State coverage and jurisdiction filters

Pick a tool that lets you set the jurisdiction before you ask. Then test it on a question you already know the answer to, such as the standard for a modification of child support in your state. If it returns cases from three other states first, move on.

Statute text next to the cases

Family practice lives in the statute. Look for search of statutory text that shows the section and the opinions that cite it. CaseCode searches the U.S. Code and the CFR and published US case law, and you can use the statute search and case law search pages to see the format.

Citation verification

Trial courts see a heavy volume of briefs and motions, and judges have sanctioned filers for citing cases that do not exist. Run every motion and proposed order through a checker that returns a status for each citation. The citation checker reports whether the opinion exists, whether the name, court and year match, and whether the pin cite falls inside the opinion.

Honest limits

Ask what is not covered. Local court rules, unpublished trial court orders, practice guides and forms are common gaps in research tools. CaseCode is also not a citator, so it has no treatment flags. When a recent case could have been overruled or limited, confirm treatment before you rely on it.

What it should cost for a family practice

A solo family lawyer is better served by a flat plan than by a quote built for a firm of fifty. CaseCode lists its plans: Solo is 149 USD per month for one user, Practice is 349 USD for up to five users, and Firm is 799 USD for up to fifteen. Annual billing takes 50 percent off. Whatever you consider, ask for the total monthly cost for your headcount in writing and check whether citation checking is an add-on.

If you are weighing a move away from a larger platform, the Westlaw alternative and Lexis alternative pages compare what you gain and what you give up.

A 45 minute test with your own matters

1. Pick three closed matters and ask the same three questions in each tool, with your state selected.
2. Open every cited case and confirm it says what the tool claims.
3. Run a recent motion through the citation checker. Plant one invented case and one wrong pin cite and see whether both are caught.
4. Look up the state statute that governs your most common motion and see whether the text and the citing opinions come back together.
5. Export a memo to DOCX and check that the table of authorities is usable without reformatting.

The tool that passes the planted errors and exports a clean memo is the one worth paying for. A polished chat box that cannot show its sources fails the first step.

Before the first client call

Research is only half of taking on a matter. Many family lawyers also run a quick check on the other party or a new client before a retainer is signed, and a tool like a background check on a new client or business covers that step in minutes.

Try CaseCode on a real matter

Ask a question in the tool at the top of this page, then paste a draft into the citation checker. If the results hold up on your own work, see the plans on the pricing page or read the guide to legal research software cost for a small firm.