Family law encompasses a wide range of family related issues including prenuptial agreements, adoption, child custody and visitation and divorce to just name a few. In our modern society one doesn't have to look further than the media to see the complications of modern life are not necessarily keeping up with the abilities of the court to regulate and offer relief. Issues such as property division when a couple has lived as man and wife without the legal recognition marriage can offer an eye opening experience as judges can not treat the property obtained during the relationship as marital assets and a whole new set of rules, which may seem less accurate and less fair, but none the less apply. When children are involved it can become more complex as the need to establish paternity can slow down the process to arrange child visitation, custody and support. Taking all of the deviations of life into consideration it is easy to understand why this law becomes important in protecting the rights of families.

Although technically divorces are handled by the Supreme Court, most other similarly related matters are handled by family court. This court can ultimately end up micro managing the lives of families with concerns such as paternity, child support, and spousal support. Paternity is usually not a problem with children born in wedlock but it may have to be established for children born out of wedlock. If paternity has already been proven the court can move forward towards setting kid's support. This law can also work with custodial guardians to enforce child support orders and garnish the wages of parents who refuse to pay support. Other issues that family court deals with include spousal support. A non working spouse in the process of being divorced can be entitled to spousal support in order to avoid going on welfare. In addition to the types of law already discussed, this can extend to criminal matters such as restraining orders related to domestic violence. The same will also address the issue of youth who are beyond parental control and juveniles who have been charged with criminal offenses.

Clearly this law is capable of providing a wide range of services not only for families who need court intervention to move forward with their lives but also for families who occasionally find a need for family court to enforce established orders such as child or spousal support.