Family law

Abstract

This textbook tries to present family law in its context. I hope readers will gain not only an understanding of what the law actually is, but also an awareness of the complex tensions in social, philosophical and political forces which surround ‘family life’. This means the book contains much law, but also a little sociology, political theory and philosophy. Of course a little of anything might be said to be a bad thing and the book can only give a fl avour of the wide-ranging issues surrounding family life and its regulation. Still, it is hoped the reader can see that family law is not simply a set of rules cast down from upon high, but rules that have to operate in the messy world of personal relations where many people do not know what the law says, and even if they do, do not care very much about it.