FAMILY LAW
Statutes, court decisions, and provisions of the fed-
eral and state constitutions that relate to family
relationships, rights, duties, and finances.
The law relating to family disputes and obli-
gations has grown dramatically since the 1970s,
as legislators and judges have reexamined and
redefined legal relationships surrounding
DIVORCE, CHILD CUSTODY, and CHILD SUP-
PORT. Family law has become entwined with
national debates over the structure of the family,
gender bias, and morality.Despite many changes
made by state and federal legislators, family law
remains a contentious area of U.S. law, generat-
ing strong emotions from those who have had to
enter the legal process.
Historical Background
Most of the changes made in family law in
the late twentieth century have been based on
overturning concepts of marriage, family, and
gender that go back to European FEUDALISM,
canon (church) law, and custom. During Anglo-
Saxon times in England, marriage and divorce
were private matters. Following the Norman
