Since its founding in 1963, AAML has been committed to encouraging study, improving practice, elevating standards and advancing the cause of family law. The Bounds of Advocacy is one of the Academy’s most important contributions to that mission.

The Bounds of Advocacy is not a disciplinary code and does not replace the Rules of Professional Conduct. Rather, it provides guidance for the difficult judgments family lawyers make every day when legal ethics alone may not provide the answer.

Family law attorneys serve individuals and families during some of life’s most vulnerable and consequential moments. The decisions made during those moments can affect children, co-parenting relationships and generations for years to come. The Bounds of Advocacy acknowledges those realities and promotes a model of advocacy grounded in professionalism, sound judgment, integrity and service.

The 2026 edition has been updated to reflect today’s family law landscape while preserving the enduring principles that have guided AAML Fellows for generations.