Provides a clear and accessible introduction to family law

Explains the legal principles which underpin the law

Explores the changing nature of family law and future issues the courts will deal with

Focusses on international examples, including the UK and USA

Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide

What is a family? What makes someone a parent? What rights should children have? Family Law: A Very Short Introduction gives the reader an insight not only into what the law is, but why it is the way it is. It examines how laws have had to respond to social changes in family life, from rapidly rising divorce rates to surrogate mothers, and gives insight into family courts which are required to deal with the chaos of family life and often struggle to keep up-to-date with the social and scientific changes which affect it. It also looks to the future: what will families look like in the years ahead? What new dilemmas will the courts face?