diff --git a/lib/parameter/field.ex b/lib/parameter/field.ex
index 00b5976..bae49c6 100644
--- a/lib/parameter/field.ex
+++ b/lib/parameter/field.ex
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ defmodule Parameter.Field do
 
   * `:virtual` - If `true` the field will be ignored on `Parameter.load/3` and `Parameter.dump/3` functions.
 
-  * `:load_func` - Function to specify how to load the field. The function must have two arguments where the first one is the field value and the second one
-  will be the data to be loaded.
+  * `:on_load` - Function to specify how to load the field. The function must have two arguments where the first one is the field value and the second one
+  will be the data to be loaded. Should return `{:ok, value}` or `{:error, reason}` tuple.
 
-  * `:dump_func` - Function to specify how to dump the field. The function must have two arguments where the first one is the field value and the second one
-  will be the data to be dumped.
+  * `:on_dump` - Function to specify how to dump the field. The function must have two arguments where the first one is the field value and the second one
+  will be the data to be dumped. Should return `{:ok, value}` or `{:error, reason}` tuple.
 
   > NOTE: Validation only occurs on `Parameter.load/3`.
   > By desgin, data passed into `Parameter.dump/3` are considered valid.
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ defmodule Parameter.Field do
     :default,
     :load_default,
     :dump_default,
-    :load_func,
-    :dump_func,
+    :on_load,
+    :on_dump,
     type: :string,
     required: false,
     validator: nil,
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ defmodule Parameter.Field do
           default: any(),
           load_default: any(),
           dump_default: any(),
-          load_func: fun() | nil,
-          dump_func: fun() | nil,
+          on_load: fun() | nil,
+          on_dump: fun() | nil,
           type: Types.t(),
           required: boolean(),
           validator: fun() | nil,
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ defmodule Parameter.Field do
     default = Keyword.get(opts, :default)
     load_default = Keyword.get(opts, :load_default)
     dump_default = Keyword.get(opts, :dump_default)
-    load_func = Keyword.get(opts, :load_func)
-    dump_func = Keyword.get(opts, :dump_func)
+    on_load = Keyword.get(opts, :on_load)
+    on_dump = Keyword.get(opts, :on_dump)
     required = Keyword.get(opts, :required, false)
     validator = Keyword.get(opts, :validator)
     virtual = Keyword.get(opts, :virtual, false)
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ defmodule Parameter.Field do
          :ok <- Types.validate(:string, key),
          :ok <- Types.validate(:boolean, required),
          :ok <- Types.validate(:boolean, virtual),
-         :ok <- load_func_valid?(load_func),
-         :ok <- dump_func_valid?(dump_func),
+         :ok <- on_load_valid?(on_load),
+         :ok <- on_dump_valid?(on_dump),
          :ok <- validator_valid?(validator) do
       struct!(__MODULE__, opts)
     end
@@ -155,12 +155,12 @@ defmodule Parameter.Field do
     end
   end
 
-  defp load_func_valid?(load_func) do
-    function_valid?(load_func, 2, "load_func must be a function")
+  defp on_load_valid?(on_load) do
+    function_valid?(on_load, 2, "on_load must be a function")
   end
 
-  defp dump_func_valid?(dump_func) do
-    function_valid?(dump_func, 2, "dump_func must be a function")
+  defp on_dump_valid?(on_dump) do
+    function_valid?(on_dump, 2, "on_dump must be a function")
   end
 
   defp validator_valid?(validator) do
diff --git a/lib/parameter/schema.ex b/lib/parameter/schema.ex
index 64da99e..e93e7dc 100644
--- a/lib/parameter/schema.ex
+++ b/lib/parameter/schema.ex
@@ -89,14 +89,12 @@ defmodule Parameter.Schema do
 
       schema = %{
         first_name: [key: "firstName", type: :string, required: true],
-        address: [required: true, type: {:has_one, %{street: [type: :string, required: true]}}],
+        address: [type: {:has_one, %{street: [type: :string, required: true]}}],
         phones: [type: {:has_many, %{country: [type: :string, required: true]}}]
-      }
+      } |> Parameter.Schema.compile!()
 
-      compiled_schema = Parameter.Schema.compile!(schema)
-
-      Parameter.load(compiled_schema, %{"firstName" => "John"})
-      ...
+      Parameter.load(schema, %{"firstName" => "John"})
+      {:ok, %{first_name: "John"}}
 
 
     The same API can also be evaluated on compile time by using module attributes:
@@ -118,6 +116,7 @@ defmodule Parameter.Schema do
     This makes it easy to dynamically create schemas or just avoid using any macros.
 
   ## Required fields
+
   By default, `Parameter.Schema` considers all fields to be optional when validating the schema.
   This behaviour can be changed by passing the module attribute `@fields_required true` on
   the module where the schema is declared.
@@ -136,6 +135,49 @@ defmodule Parameter.Schema do
 
       Parameter.load(MyApp.UserSchema, %{})
       {:error, %{age: "is required", name: "is required"}}
+
+
+  ## Custom field loading and dumping
+
+  The `load` and `dump` behavior can be customized per field by implementing `on_load` or `on_dump` functions in the field definition.
+  This can be useful if the field needs to be fetched or even validate in a different way than the defaults implemented by `Parameter`.
+  Both functions should return `{:ok, value}` or `{:error, reason}` tuple.
+
+  For example, imagine that there is a parameter called `full_name` in your schema that you want to customize on how it will be parsed:
+
+      defmodule MyApp.UserSchema do
+        use Parameter.Schema
+
+        param do
+          field :first_name, :string
+          field :last_name, :string
+          field :full_name, :string, on_load: &__MODULE__.load_full_name/2
+        end
+
+        def load_full_name(value, params) do
+          # if `full_name` is not `nil` it just return the `full_name`
+          if value do
+            {:ok, value}
+          else
+            # Otherwise it will join the `first_name` and `last_name` params
+            {:ok, params["first_name"] <> " " <> params["last_name"]}
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+  Now when loading, the full_name field will be handled by the `load_full_name/2` function:
+
+      Parameter.load(MyApp.UserSchema, %{first_name: "John", last_name: "Doe", full_name: nil})
+      {:ok, %{first_name:  "John", full_name: "John Doe", last_name: "Doe"}}
+
+  The same behavior is possible when dumping the schema parameters by using `on_dump/2` function:
+
+      schema = %{
+        level: [type: :integer, on_dump: fn value, _input -> {:ok, value || 0}  end]
+      } |> Parameter.Schema.compile!()
+
+      Parameter.dump(schema, %{level: nil})
+      {:ok, %{"level" => 0}}
   """
 
   alias Parameter.Field
diff --git a/lib/parameter/schema/compiler.ex b/lib/parameter/schema/compiler.ex
index 22118d0..c801bb4 100644
--- a/lib/parameter/schema/compiler.ex
+++ b/lib/parameter/schema/compiler.ex
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ defmodule Parameter.Schema.Compiler do
       raise ArgumentError, "validator cannot be used on nested fields"
     end
 
-    if :load_func in keys do
-      raise ArgumentError, "load_func cannot be used on nested fields"
+    if :on_load in keys do
+      raise ArgumentError, "on_load cannot be used on nested fields"
     end
 
-    if :dump_func in keys do
-      raise ArgumentError, "dump_func cannot be used on nested fields"
+    if :on_dump in keys do
+      raise ArgumentError, "on_dump cannot be used on nested fields"
     end
 
     opts
diff --git a/lib/parameter/schema_fields.ex b/lib/parameter/schema_fields.ex
index fc854f9..d1d4f30 100644
--- a/lib/parameter/schema_fields.ex
+++ b/lib/parameter/schema_fields.ex
@@ -106,13 +106,13 @@ defmodule Parameter.SchemaFields do
   end
 
   def field_handler(
-        %Meta{parent_input: parent_input, operation: operation} = meta,
-        %Field{load_func: load_func} = field,
+        %Meta{parent_input: parent_input, operation: :load} = meta,
+        %Field{on_load: on_load} = field,
         value,
         opts
       )
-      when not is_nil(load_func) and operation in [:load] do
-    case load_func.(value, parent_input) do
+      when not is_nil(on_load) do
+    case on_load.(value, parent_input) do
       {:ok, value} ->
         operation_handler(meta, field, value, opts)
 
@@ -122,13 +122,13 @@ defmodule Parameter.SchemaFields do
   end
 
   def field_handler(
-        %Meta{parent_input: parent_input, operation: operation} = meta,
-        %Field{dump_func: dump_func} = field,
+        %Meta{parent_input: parent_input, operation: :dump} = meta,
+        %Field{on_dump: on_dump} = field,
         value,
         opts
       )
-      when not is_nil(dump_func) and operation in [:dump] do
-    case dump_func.(value, parent_input) do
+      when not is_nil(on_dump) do
+    case on_dump.(value, parent_input) do
       {:ok, value} -> operation_handler(meta, field, value, opts)
       error -> error
     end
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ defmodule Parameter.SchemaFields do
     error
   end
 
+  defp operation_handler(_meta, _field, nil, _opts) do
+    {:ok, nil}
+  end
+
   defp operation_handler(meta, %Field{type: type}, value, _opts) do
     case meta.operation do
       :dump -> Types.dump(type, value)
@@ -226,7 +230,10 @@ defmodule Parameter.SchemaFields do
         check_required(field, :ignore, meta.operation)
 
       {:ok, nil} ->
-        check_required(field, nil, meta.operation)
+        case check_required(field, nil, meta.operation) do
+          {:ok, value} -> field_handler(meta, field, value, opts)
+          other -> other
+        end
 
       {:ok, value} ->
         field_handler(meta, field, value, opts)
diff --git a/lib/parameter/types.ex b/lib/parameter/types.ex
index 0615a77..2609079 100644
--- a/lib/parameter/types.ex
+++ b/lib/parameter/types.ex
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ defmodule Parameter.Types do
     end
   end
 
-  @spec validate(atom(), any()) :: :ok | {:error, any()}
+  @spec validate(atom() | composite_types(), any()) :: :ok | {:error, any()}
   def validate(type, values)
 
   def validate({:has_one, inner_type}, values) when is_map(values) do
diff --git a/test/parameter/schema/compiler_test.exs b/test/parameter/schema/compiler_test.exs
index 6dfd4ea..16bc9ae 100644
--- a/test/parameter/schema/compiler_test.exs
+++ b/test/parameter/schema/compiler_test.exs
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ defmodule Parameter.Schema.CompilerTest do
       Compiler.fetch_nested_opts!(dump_default: nil)
     end
 
-    assert_raise ArgumentError, "load_func cannot be used on nested fields", fn ->
-      Compiler.fetch_nested_opts!(load_func: nil)
+    assert_raise ArgumentError, "on_load cannot be used on nested fields", fn ->
+      Compiler.fetch_nested_opts!(on_load: nil)
     end
 
-    assert_raise ArgumentError, "dump_func cannot be used on nested fields", fn ->
-      Compiler.fetch_nested_opts!(dump_func: nil)
+    assert_raise ArgumentError, "on_dump cannot be used on nested fields", fn ->
+      Compiler.fetch_nested_opts!(on_dump: nil)
     end
 
     assert_raise ArgumentError, "validator cannot be used on nested fields", fn ->
diff --git a/test/parameter_test.exs b/test/parameter_test.exs
index b6bd968..fc4868a 100644
--- a/test/parameter_test.exs
+++ b/test/parameter_test.exs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ defmodule ParameterTest do
     param do
       field :first_name, :string, key: "firstName", required: true
       field :last_name, :string, key: "lastName", required: true, default: ""
-      field :age, :integer, load_func: &__MODULE__.load_age/2
+      field :age, :integer, on_load: &__MODULE__.load_age/2
       field :metadata, :map, dump_default: %{"key" => "value"}
       field :hex_amount, CustomTypeHexToDecimal, key: "hexAmount", default: "0"
       field :paid_amount, :decimal, key: "paidAmount", default: Decimal.new("1")
@@ -79,16 +79,16 @@ defmodule ParameterTest do
         field :type, :string
 
         field :age, :integer,
-          load_func: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.load_info_age/2,
-          dump_func: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.dump_age/2
+          on_load: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.load_info_age/2,
+          on_dump: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.dump_age/2
       end
 
       has_many :info, Info do
         field :id, :string
 
         field :age, :string,
-          load_func: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.load_info_age/2,
-          dump_func: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.dump_info_age/2
+          on_load: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.load_info_age/2,
+          on_dump: &ParameterTest.UserTestSchema.dump_info_age/2
       end
     end
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ defmodule ParameterTest do
     end
 
     def dump_age(value, input) do
-      if age = input[:id_info][:age] do
+      if age = input.id_info.age do
         {:ok, age}
       else
         {:ok, value}