What is Family Law?

Family Law is the broad field of legal practice in which relations between people are defined. Predominantly, the field is limited to relations between spouses and children. Family Law is divorce, or dissolution, including adoption, paternity, child custody, child support, and even involves issues of domestic violence and orders of protection. Family law is statutory, but at common law was an equity proceeding. Thus, juries do not hear family law cases. Many modern state court systems have divisions devoted solely to family law cases.