Combines a wide range of cases and materials with insightful commentary and analysis, creating a complete resource for students of family law.
Features authoritative author commentary which engages with a range of theoretical and critical perspectives.
A student centred text including a 'Central Issues' section at the beginning of each chapter, which outlines the main topics to be explored
Provides clear and accessible commentary and analysis
Online Resource Centre fully integrated with the main text, providing regular updates on recent developments in family law, further reading, and study aids
New to this edition
coverage of the same-sex marriage case Schalk and Kopf v Austria
full treatment of Stack v Dowden and subsequent case law, and its implications for ownership of the family home
a fully updated chapter on child support, following the reforms implemented by the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008
a revised account of the law of ancillary relief in light of the developing case law, including Charman v Charman and B v B
a fully updated section on private ordering on divorce following the decision of the Supreme Court in Radmacher v Granatino
a fully revised chapter on the allocation of legal parenthood following assisted reproduction in light of the reforms contained within the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
detailed coverage of the debate surrounding the importance attributed to genetic fatherhood in the wake of reforms to the birth registration system and changing judicial approaches to parental responsibility and shared residence
full analysis of key Supreme Court and House of Lords decisions on the importance to be attributed to the fact of biological parenthood in residence disputes (In Re B (A Child)) and on the threshold conditions for state intervention into the family where the child is at risk of harm (Re B (Children) (Care proceedings: standard of proof) and Re S-B (Children))
a fully updated chapter on adoption in light of developing case law under the Adoption and Children Act 2002
The second edition of this comprehensive guide to family law, presents everything an undergraduate family law student needs in one volume. Drawing on their extensive experience, the authors offer a detailed and authoritative exposition of family law illustrated by materials carefully selected from a wide range of sources.
The book has two principal aims: to provide readers with a thorough understanding of the law relating to the family, and to do so in a way that stimulates critical reflection on that law. Readers are encouraged to consider how and why the law has developed as it has, what policies it is seeking to pursue, whether it achieves the right balance between the rights and interests of individual family members and the wider public interest, and how it operates in practice.
The text is supported by a substantial Online Resource Centre, which features regular updates on the law, supplementary materials, further reading suggestions, and study aids. The ORC also features two chapters, Introduction to Family Law, and Fundamental principles in the law relating to children.
Readership: Suitable for undergraduate students taking a course in family law.
