Edited by Robin Fretwell Wilson

This book provides a critical examination of the American Law Institute's (ALI) Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution: Analysis and Recommendations ('Principles'). The volume is a collaborative work of individuals from diverse perspectives and disciplines who explore the fundamental questions about the nature of family, parenthood, and child support. The contributors are all recognized authorities on aspects of family law and provide commentary on the principles examined by the ALI utilizing a wide range of analytical tools including economic theory, constitutional law, social science data, and linguistic analysis.

James G. Dwyer

This is a philosophical analysis of a legal topic. It uses welfare-based and autonomy-based moral theories to develop a theory of what rights children should have when the legal system makes decisions about their family relationships - for example, who their legal parents will be, which parent will have custody after divorce, when parental rights should be terminated because of abuse or neglect, and how much control parents should have over children's association with third parties.

William Wesley Patton

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of thousands of court cases, statutes, state bar ethics codes, Attorney General opinions, and model codes regarding the ethical universe of child abuse and custody proceedings. The book analyzes the ethical responsibilities of children's attorneys, parents' attorneys, governmental attorneys, and judges regarding pre-trial alternative dispute resolution, trial and motion practice, and appeals. A full child abuse case file with ethical analysis is also provided.

Paul Mallender, Jane Rayson

The Civil Partnership Act is a major piece of social legislation and is intended to create a whole new legal framework for same-sex couples who wish in effect to 'marry'. This book explains how to form such a 'civil partnership', its implications and obligations in terms of property, finance and children, and the consequences of the breakdown of the partnership. It is essential reading for legal practitioners advising people who are intending to form a civil partnership.

Clare McGlynn

Offering a comprehensive analysis of family law in the European Union, McGlynn argues that a traditional concept of 'family' which has many adverse effects - on individuals, on families (in all their diverse forms), and indeed on the economic ambitions of the EU is forming the basis for the little-recognised and under-researched field of EU family law. She critically analyses existing EU law in relation to childhood, parenthood and partnerships, providing a robust challenge to the arguments in favour of the codification of European civil law, including family law.