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Rasmussen College, Minneapolis *
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PLA2800
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Law
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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docx
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Diverse Families
Stefanie Flores
Rasmussen University
PL230/PLA2800 Section 01 Family Law (5.5 Weeks) - Online Plus - 2023 Fall Quarter Term 2
December 15, 2023
Diverse Family Law
Everyone has their own beliefs and opinions when it comes to diversity. The way one person
sees a specific scenario might be completely different from how their co-workers see the same scenario.
No matter the reasoning behind the opinion, we must always put professionalism first when it comes to
the law.
What is diversity?
A good start to understanding diversity, and what situations a paralegal might encounter is to
know the actual meaning of the word “diversity”.
Diversity is
the condition of having or being composed
of differing elements,
especially
the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or
organization. An example that could be seen in family law would be biracial couples.
Opinion VS. Legal Obligation
As a paralegal working in a law office, it is guaranteed that the cases you will handle will be very
diverse. This includes same sex marriages, same sex adoption, surrogacy, bi-racial couples, children with
different biological parents ect. Working in the legal field obligates you to put your opinion to the side
and do what is right by the law not by opinion.
As a paralegal you will also be confronted with “difficult” clients, whom you may not agree with.
As the paralegal working their case you must demonstrate active listening, empathy, and understanding.
Your job consists of being the communication and assistant of your supervising attorney, and any doubts
should be discussed with him. It is also very important to remember that when voicing your opinion with
a client, it could be interpreted as advice and the paralegal would be committing Unauthorized Practice
of Law.
The Children
When children are involved in a diverse family, and things like divorce happen, it is very difficult
for them emotionally, and psychologically. The parents of these children come from two totally different
backgrounds, and the court must help decide what is in the best interest of the child. When there are
cultural differences, and religious differences involved it can be very stressful for everyone involved in
the situation.
The case
Matter of Davis v Davis
, 240 AD2d 928, 929, 658 NYS2d 548 [1997]).
Verfenstein
v Verfenstein, 171 A.D.3d 841, 842
sheds some light onto this issue involved with custody in diverse
families.
When a couple divorces, it is very common for one of them to move to a different city or
sometimes even a different state. When deciding whom full time custody should be granted to, there are
many details that are taken into consideration. The main one is the child’s well-being. Who will take care
of the child better? Who can support the child financially, and emotionally? Where will the child thrive
academically? All these details are taken into consideration when making decisions for minor children.
Although not mentioned enough, diversity in families dealing with the law is very complex. This
is a subject that needs more attention, and better tactics. Although these families are diverse, they are
still human, and although some people may be hard to understand as a paralegal we are obligated to do
right by the clients, and right by the law.
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References
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Est 1828
Diversity Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
Verfenstein v Verfenstein Appelate Division 2
nd
Department April 3, 2013 171 A.D.3d 841
Verfenstein v
Verfenstein, 171 A.D.3d 841 (lexis.com)