Routledge Handbook of Family Law and Policy

Changes in family structures, demographics, social attitudes and economic policies over the last 60 years have had a large impact on family lives and correspondingly on family law. The Second Edition of this Handbook draws upon recent developments to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date global perspective on the policy challenges facing family law and policy round the world. The chapters apply legal, sociological, demographic and social work research to explore the most significant issues that have been commanding the attention of family law policymakers in recent years. Featuring contributions from renowned global experts, the book draws on multiple jurisdictions and offers comparative analysis across a range of countries. The book addresses a range of issues, including the role of the state in supporting families and protecting the vulnerable, children's rights and parental authority, sexual orientation, same-sex unions and gender in family law, and the status of marriage and other forms of adult relationships. It also focuses on divorce and separation and their consequences, the relationship between civil law and the law of minority groups, refugees and migrants and the movement of family members between jurisdictions along with assisted conception, surrogacy and adoption. This advanced-level reference work will be essential reading for students, researchers and scholars of family law and social policy as well as policymakers in the field.

John Eekelaar is Emeritus Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford University, UK. Rob George is Associate Professor of Family Law at University College London, UK and a barrister at Harcourt Chambers, Temple, London.

Part 1: Marriage and Alternative Relationships 1.1 The Changing Face of Marriage 1.2 Marriage and Alternative Status Relationships in the Netherlands 1.3 The Recognition of Religious and Customary Marriages and Non-Marital Domestic Partnerships in South Africa 1.4 Family, Same-Sex Unions and the Law 1.5 Unmarried Cohabitation Part 2: Dissolution of Status, Death and their Consequences 2.1 Dissolution of Marriage in Westernized Countries 2.2 Divorce Trends and Patterns: An Overview 2.3 Divorce Procedure Reform in China 2.4 Dissolution of Marriage in Japan 2.5 Relaxation and Dissolution of Marriage in Latin America 2.6 The Legal Consequences of Dissolution: Property and Financial Support between Spouses 2.7 Child Support, Spousal Support and the Turn to Guidelines 2.8 Inheritance and Death: Legal Strategies in the United States and England Part 3: Parenting and Parenthood 3.1 Assisted Conception and Surrogacy in the United Kingdom 3.2 Regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy in Australia 3.3 Parenting Issues after Separation: Recent Developments in Common Law Countries 3.4 The Development of 'Shared Custody' in Spain and Southern Europe 3.5 Parenting Issues after Separation: A Scandinavian Perspective Part 4: Child Welfare, Child Protection and Children's Rights 4.1 Crisis in Child Welfare and Protection in England: Causes, Consequences and Solutions? 4.2 Child Protection: Promoting Permanency without Adoption 4.3 Adoption of Children in the United States and England and Wales 4.4 The Moral Basis of Children's Relational Rights 4.5 Children's Rights and Parental Authority: African Perspectives 4.6 Children's Rights: The Wider Context Part 5: Discrimination and Personal Safety 5.1 Gender and Human Rights 5.2 Domestic Abuse: A UK Perspective Part 6: The Role of the State and its Institutions 6.1 State Support for Families in Europe: A Comparative Overview 6.2 State Support for Families in the United States 6.3 Law and Policy Concerning Older People 6.4 Support and Care among Family Members and State Provision for the Elderly in Japan 6.5 Access to Family Justice Part 7: Globalization 7.1 International Child Abduction, Intercountry Adoption and International Commercial Surrogacy 7.2 Children in Cross-Border Situations: Relocation, the 1996 Hague Convention and the Brussels IIa Regulation 7.3 Divided and United Across Borders: A Global Overview of Family Migration