Law of the Family

Law of the Family. That area of law under the continental civil law system that deals with familial obligations such as marriage, annulment, divorce, adoption, child custody, spousal support of children/ancestors and related extra-contractual obligations between family members. Differs greatly between jurisdictions. As an example the French Civil Code still recognizes the man as the head of the family unit where as the more recently revised Civil Code of Québec recognizes the equality of the spouses. See also matrimonial regime.