Family law refers to an area of legal practice that deals with issues related to relationships within the family such as child custody, divorce, and adoption.

Attorneys that practice family law is liable to represent individuals (clients) in their proceedings in the family court, or in negotiations involved in family issues.

They also create important legal documents including property agreements and court petitions.

Family law also refers to the area of law that manages family relationships. It involves creating family relationships and breaking them through the process of divorce, termination of parental/guardian rights

The following include terms that are helpful to know in family law:

Emancipation

This refers to a court process that involves the transformation of a minor to a self-supporting person, thereby assuming adult responsibility for his or her own welfare. The child then leaves the care of the parents or guardians.

Prenuptial Agreement

This refers to an agreement that was reached between a man and a woman before they marry each other. This agreement provides that they relinquish future rights to their properties, in the situation where there’s a divorce or death.

Paternity

This refers to the origin as in the father. The purpose of establishing paternity is so as to confirm the biological father of a child.

Alimony

This refers to the allowance that one spouse provides for the other to support themselves either during or after a divorce or legal separation.

Marital Property

This refers to the property that was acquired by both spouses during their marriage to each other and is subject to division upon legal separation.

The following include the reasons why family law is being practiced:

Divorce

This refers to the process of breaking the legal bonds of matrimony. It refers to the end of a contract. Divorce sometimes could be settled if the parties participate in conflict resolution such as mediation sessions.

Alimony and Spousal support

Some states make use of a formula in the process of determining the amount of support that should be rendered. In other cases, however, the judge is left to decide the amount of support. Some of the considerations for Spousal support include the following:

• Length of marriage
• Amount of debt accumulated by both parties
• The ability of the parties to pay
• Age of parties and ability (or inability) to work
• The misconduct of either party

Other reasons for family law include pre and post-nuptial agreement, child custody, child support, legal and physical support, abuse and neglect proceedings amongst others.