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I am a law clerk. More specifically, I work in child support prosecution. Basically, my job is to establish paternity (if necessary) and set child support orders off Domestic Violence and Dependency dockets. I also conference some cases off motion hour. It's an interesting job, to say the least...
My tools of the trade are....
*My "Mary Poppins bag" of forms. I have forms for paternity admits, paternity denials, wage assignments (where the take child support directly out of your check), Judgments of Paternity, Orders of Support, Agreed Orders, etc.
*Kentucky Child Support Guidelines Worksheet--Statutorily, a child support amount is calculated by using the joint paternal income.
*Calculator--I'm in law school because I can't do math, and I calculate child support for a living. Go figure.
*A thick skin--I am NOT a popular person. In fact, I've been called some god-awful names, including "Child Support Bitch". It requires a tough hide, and the ability to see through people's bullshit. Moreover, I see and hear about some really horrible stuff--domestic abuse, child neglect, etc. Not only do I have to hear about these things, but I have to see past them to do my job.
*Patience and Understanding--no one I see at work is having a good day. Sometimes they're having their kids taken away from them. I try to be as kind as possible while still doing what I have to do.
*Strong coffee
*Professional Dress: preferably a suit, but since I'm on a student budget, I don't have enough suits to wear one every day. Dress not only helps establish authority (which helps when dealing not only with clients but with attorneys) but it also helps give me an extra boost of confidence.
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"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."
-Desiderata
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