Initiallly, this study retraces the path of Social Work in family courts in Rio de Janeiro, since the times of the normative perspective, that first marked the insertion of the profession in the Judiciary, up to the present time. Having as fieldwork the professional practice of the author, the historical acccount points to new directions for Social Work practice, in line with changes taking place in legislation. In a second step, the research focuses on families that litigate in the courts, having in perspective the changes that took place in family organization over the last decades. When approaching families in litigation in the context of broader social changes the study proposes a break-up with the normative standards that have characterized family Social Work. By capturing the speech of fathers and mothers that look for the courts in the face of impasses occurring after separation processes, the study helps to unveil to what extent these very same impasses reflect contemporary changes that affect the foundations of family ties. As such, the normative approach that has marked Social Work yields in the face of a perspective that favors the guarantee of rights that presently characterizes the profession.