What is family law
Family law deals with legal issues within the family, such as divorce, probate or family violence. It also covers the care and treatment of young persons.
A family proceeding may or may not involve a dispute between parties:
| Cases involving disputes | Family cases often involve disagreements between parties. These are called contentious cases. Disputes can occur over various issues. Common examples include disputes over divorce, maintenance of a spouse or child, or the authenticity of a will.
If an application is successful, the court may order someone to do something (such as to pay maintenance) or grant a certain status (such as divorce). This is a private dispute. This means the state is not involved, except to provide the judge and court services. |
| Cases not involving disputes | A party may file an application to the court even if there is no disagreement with another party.
Examples include uncontested adoption or deputyship applications. |
Note: Matters involving persons who were never married to one another (such as former boyfriends or girlfriends) or family members of a former spouse are not considered family cases. These cases may be either be civil cases or criminal cases, depending on the circumstances.