Autonomous Family Law Trial Attorney — Florida

Nacba; Orlando (FL); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Support staff

Tech-forward environment

Courtroom opportunities

Growth opportunities

Job summary

The Law Office of Erin Morse is seeking an experienced Associate Attorney with 3-5 years of Florida litigation experience, preferably with a significant background in family law, to join our growing Central Florida practice.

This role emphasizes taking ownership of cases, courtroom appearances, and developing litigation strategy from engagement through resolution or trial.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active Florida Bar membership in good standing.
• 3–5 years of Florida litigation experience, preferably in family law.
• Meaningful courtroom experience handling contested hearings and litigation.
• Experience preparing cases for trial, including discovery, motions, and strategy.
• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy.
• Ability to independently manage deadlines and a demanding caseload.
• Professionalism when working with stressed clients.
• Strong client communication and expectation management.
• Comfort with a technology-driven, paperless environment.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage a family law caseload from engagement to settlement, trial, and post-judgment proceedings.
• Develop case strategy and advise clients on options and outcomes.
• Draft and review pleadings, motions, discovery, settlements, orders, and other documents.
• Prepare for and appear at hearings, mediations, depositions, and trials.
• Handle contested and high-conflict family law matters.
• Conduct and respond to discovery and position cases for resolution or trial.
• Negotiate effectively with opposing counsel and litigate when needed.
• Consult with prospective clients to identify needs and explain strategies.
• Communicate proactively with clients, opposing counsel, court personnel, and team.
• Collaborate with paralegals and other attorneys to move cases forward.
• Maintain timekeeping, billing discipline, and case documentation.
• Utilize cloud-based practice management system and client portals.
• Uphold professional, ethical, and client-service standards.

Skills

Courtroom advocacy

Negotiation

Legal research

Written communication

Client communication

Time management

Tech-savvy

Deadline management

Education

Juris Doctor

Florida Bar in good standing

Tools

Clio

Job description

The Law Office of Erin Morse is seeking an experienced Associate Attorney with 3-5 years of Florida litigation experience, preferably with a significant background in family law, to join our growing Central Florida practice.

This position is designed for an attorney who is comfortable taking ownership of cases, appearing in court, developing litigation strategy, and managing matters from initial client engagement through resolution or trial.

Our attorneys handle sophisticated and often high-conflict family law matters, including divorce, contested timesharing and parental responsibility disputes, complex financial and property issues, modifications, enforcement proceedings, and cases involving related dependency or Guardian ad Litem issues.

We provide our attorneys with a strong operational infrastructure, experienced legal support staff, modern technology, and clearly defined systems so they can focus their time and attention where it matters most: practicing law, advocating for clients, and achieving results.

What You'll Do

• Independently manage a family law caseload from initial engagement through settlement, trial, and post-judgment proceedings.
• Develop case strategy and provide clients with clear, practical legal advice regarding their options and potential outcomes.
• Draft and review pleadings, motions, discovery, marital settlement agreements, proposed orders, judgments, and other substantive legal documents.
• Prepare for and appear at hearings, mediations, depositions, and trials.
• Handle contested and high-conflict family law matters involving custody/timesharing, financial issues, property division, support, modifications, and enforcement.
• Conduct and respond to discovery and ensure cases remain strategically positioned for resolution or trial.
• Negotiate effectively with opposing counsel while maintaining the ability and willingness to litigate when necessary.
• Conduct consultations with prospective clients, identify their legal needs, explain potential strategies, and help qualified clients make informed decisions regarding representation.
• Communicate proactively and professionally with clients, opposing counsel, court personnel, and members of the firm.
• Collaborate with paralegals, legal assistants, firm leadership, and other attorneys to move cases efficiently toward resolution.
• Maintain accurate timekeeping, billing discipline, case documentation, and established productivity expectations.
• Utilize the firm's cloud-based practice management system, client portals, and automated workflows.
• Uphold the professional, ethical, and client-service standards of the Law Office of Erin Morse.

Qualifications

Required

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with The Florida Bar.
• Approximately 3-5 years of Florida litigation experience, with family law experience strongly preferred.
• Meaningful courtroom experience handling contested hearings and litigation matters.
• Experience preparing cases for trial, including discovery, evidence, witness preparation, motions, and hearing/trial strategy.
• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy skills.
• Ability to independently manage deadlines, priorities, and a demanding litigation caseload.
• Excellent judgment and professionalism when working with clients experiencing stressful and emotionally difficult circumstances.
• Strong client communication skills and the ability to set and manage expectations throughout representation.
• Comfort working in a technology-driven, paperless legal environment.

Strongly Preferred

• First-chair trial experience, including serving as first chair in at least one to two trials within the past year.
• Experience with contested timesharing or parental responsibility matters.
• Experience with complex or high-asset divorce litigation.
• Experience involving Guardian ad Litem matters, dependency issues, psychological evaluations, or other complex custody-related matters.
• Experience conducting prospective-client consultations.
• Familiarity with Clio or comparable cloud-based legal practice management software.

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $110,000-$130,000 annually, commensurate with experience, litigation background, and demonstrated ability.

• Immediate bonus eligibility
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid Time Off
• Paid holidays
• Professional and administrative support
• Modern, technology-forward practice environment
• Meaningful courtroom and trial opportunities
• Opportunity for continued professional growth as the firm expands

Who Will Thrive Here

The successful candidate will be an attorney who values autonomy, accountability, preparation, professionalism, and results.

You should be comfortable making decisions, developing litigation strategy, communicating directly with clients, and taking ownership of your matters without requiring constant oversight.

At the same time, you will be supported by a dedicated operations team, legal support professionals, established systems, and technology designed to reduce unnecessary administrative work.

We are particularly interested in attorneys who want to practice law at a high level while building a long-term career with a growing firm.

About the Law Office of Erin Morse

The Law Office of Erin Morse is a sophisticated, technology-forward family law firm serving clients throughout Central Florida.

Our practice is focused on providing strategic advocacy and exceptional client service in complex and emotionally significant family law matters. Our attorneys handle contested divorce, timesharing and parental responsibility disputes, high-asset property division, modifications, enforcement proceedings, and other challenging domestic-relations litigation.

We have built our firm around systems, accountability, technology, and strong professional support. Our cloud-based, paperless practice utilizes Clio practice management, integrated client portals, digital case management, and automated document workflows to allow our legal team to work efficiently and maintain a high standard of client service.

The firm is also expanding its estate planning and related transactional practice areas, creating additional opportunities for attorneys interested in developing their practice as the firm continues to grow.

We are seeking an attorney who wants more than simply another associate position. We are looking for someone who wants to take ownership of meaningful cases, strengthen their litigation skills, contribute to a high-performing legal team, and grow with the firm.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Law Office of Erin Morse is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.