A divorce agreement is an agreement written for a divorcing couple that settles issues, such as how property will be divided, child custody, child support, child visitation, and alimony. The agreement can be entered into before or after the...
divorce
domestic relations
Domestic relations is a reference to the field of family law, which governs relations within a family or household. In the past, these relations were limited to those between spouses, parents and children, and legal guardians and wards....
domestic violence
Domestic violence is an issue common to both criminal law and family law that tends to be statutorily defined.
For example:
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) states in Section 12291(a)(8) “[t]he term ‘domestic...Egelhoff v. Egelhoff (2001)
A 2001 Supreme Court holding that a woman who was named as the beneficiary of her former husband's 401(k) plan was entitled to inherit the money in the plan, even though state law said that the divorce had automatically revoked her right to inherit. As...
Enoch Arden doctrine
Some states have a statute, known as the Enoch Arden Doctrine, for when a spouse, believing for a certain period of time that the other spouse is dead, marries another. If the original spouse returns, the marrying spouse may get a divorce or...
equitable distribution
Equitable distribution is a principle in divorce law governing the allocation of marital property between spouses. In states that use equitable distribution, courts try to achieve a fair allocation of property based on a list of factors or...
ex parte divorce
An ex parte divorce is a divorce that is granted within a jurisdiction where only one of the spouses is validly domiciled. It is valid even if one spouse never resided within the jurisdiction where the divorce was granted or subject to...
extreme cruelty
Extreme cruelty is a type of fault divorce where a spouse claims the other spouse committed some form of physical or mental cruelty against them. Most divorces now are now no-fault divorces, but for the few states that continue allowing fault...
family
A family is a group of people that are connected by either genetics or legal systems. This might include biological parents, children, siblings, or any extended blood relatives. Those not connected by consanguinity might become family through...
family court
Family court (often referred to as domestic courts) is a court of limited jurisdiction that hears cases involving family law. For example, family courts typically hear cases involving divorce, child custody, and domestic abuse. Given that the...