What Is Family Law (Explained: All You Need To Know)

Looking for Family Law?

What is Family Law?

What’s important to know about this area of law?

Keep reading as we have gathered exactly the information that you need!

Let me explain to you what Family Law is and how it works!

Are you ready?

Let’s get started!

What Is Family Law

Family law broadly refers to the set of laws governing family relationships, marriages, children, and any other type of personal relationship.

In other words, family law represents all laws dealing with a person’s relationship with his or her family.

Very often, when we refer to family law, legal matters such as marriage, divorce, child support, child custody, and alimony come to mind.

However, family law is much broader than that, it includes things like the establishment of paternity, emancipation issues, adoption, prenuptial aspects, or any other matter that affect a person’s life.

This area of the law is very important as everyone is born into a family and may form domestic relationships with others during their lifetime.

In many cases, individuals involved in a relationship find ways to resolve their differences and disputes without needing a lawyer or going to court.

However, when individuals are unable to amicably resolve their differences, then the applicable family laws will provide the roadmap for the courts to resolve the dispute.

Keep reading as I will further break down the meaning of family law and tell you why it’s important.

Recommended article: What is an emergency motion

Why Is Family Law Important

Family law is perhaps one of the most important areas of law in society as it can affect every single person.

Generally, when individuals are able to resolve their differences and disputes between themselves, they will not necessarily be subject to the enforcement of family laws.

However, in cases when individuals are unable to resolve their disputes fairly or amicably, then the courts can intervene and enforce certain rights and obligations on the parties involved.

Family law is a broad body of law that includes marriage, divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, reproductive rights, emancipation, family property rights, and so on.

The field of family law is also closely linked to other areas of the law such as criminal law, juvenile law, property law, estate law, and immigration law.

Recommended article: What is a motion for discovery 

What Does Family Law Cover

There are many types of family law cases involving a person’s relationship with another or family.

Family law covers the following areas:

• Marriage
• Civil union 
• Domestic partnership 
• Divorce
• Marriage annulment 
• Legal separation 
• Prenuptial agreement
• Postnuptial agreement
• Same sex marriage
• Name change 
• Division of property
• Division of debt
• Division of assets
• Child custody
• Child visitation rights
• Child support
• Shared parenting 
• Alimony
• Spousal support
• Domestic violence
• Domestic abuse
• Adoption
• Emancipation 
• Paternity establishment 
• Reproductive rights 
• Surrogacy 
• Cohabitation
• Concubinage
• Legal guardianship

Recommended article: What are professional fees

Areas Related To Family Law

Fundamentally, family law is concerned with domestic relationships between private parties and their relationship with their families.

However, in many cases, family law matters are closely intertwined with other areas of law.

For example, in the case of a divorce, there may also be domestic violence issues where criminal investigations or charges are brought against a person.

In this context, not only family laws will need to deal with the divorce of the parties but criminal laws will need to determine if a family partner committed a crime.

In general, family law is closely related to the following areas of the law:

• Criminal law
• Juvenile law
• Property law
• Estate law
• Immigration law
• Corporate law

Recommended article: What is a welfare check

Family Law FAQ

What does family law mean?

Family law is an area of law that is concerned with family matters between any member of the family such as parents, grandparents, children, siblings, domestic partners, common law partners, and so on.

What are examples of family law cases? 

Common examples of family law cases include marriage, divorce, child custody, child support, division of assets, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity testing, alimony, spousal support, adoptions, surrogacy, and more.

Who practices family law?

Lawyers specialized in family law are those who provide legal advice and representation to individuals dealing with a family issues.

Family lawyers are generally knowledgeable in the local family laws, court procedures, rules of evidence, and certain related fields such as certain aspects of criminal law, business law, and juvenile law.

Recommended article: What are the different types of lawyers

Takeaways 

So there you have it folks!

What does family law mean?

In a nutshell, family law deals with all family-related issues and domestic relationships, which include marriage, divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, separation of marital assets, and others.

Family law has become more complex with the increase in divorce rates, with the mobility of people around the world, ownership of property in different jurisdictions, and reconstituted families.

When members of a family are unable to resolve disputes on key issues, they can work with a family lawyer who will file the necessary petition before the courts to seek legal remedies.

Parties can either resolve their dispute in a negotiated settlement, go do mediation, or litigate before the court.

Family law is an area where lawyers and the legal professionals involved must bring a human touch to their practice and have great interpersonal and communication skills allowing them to help people in personal distress.

Now that you know what family law is all about and how it works, good luck with your research!

You May Also Like Related to Family Law Meaning