Where do you work if you do family law? Is it possible to work in a firm? And is the salary really as low as they say?
I'm sorry, I haven't been here in a while and missed your question.
I work in a firm for a partner who created the family law practice herself in the firm. Unfortunately, I don't know much about salaries. I can say that I've noticed a lot of small firms that seem to do very well. There are also some BigLaw firms that have family law practice groups.
For a sole practicioner it can be tough because collections can be a problem. Splitting up the finances from one household to two creates a strain and the attorneys are always the last to be paid. Plus, angry clients can be difficulty with collections because very often what the client wants they can't get (as in blood drawn or the person completely out of their life when they share children).
My advice would be to check out some of the BigLaw firms in the locations you want to practice in to see if they have partners who practice FL or practice groups for FL. And don't discount to boutique firms - sometimes the salaries and chances for advancement at those smaller firms are better than BigLaw.