Family Law

ABA Family Legal Guide

The American Bar Association makes available an online copy of its print publication, Family Legal Guide. The guide explains the law, legal processes and legal situations commonly encountered by lower and moderate income families. Chapters cover consulting with a lawyer, how the legal system works, family law, buying and selling a home, home ownership, renting, consumer credit and more. There is also a glossary of legal terms.

Child & Family Web Guide

Faculty and students at Tufts University compile this resource guide for those interested in, or studying, child development. It evaluates and annotates Web-based resources on family and parenting, education and learning, child development, health and mental health and recreation. The guide features an extensive subject index that you can browse, a subject guide by age, a list of "ask an expert" resources and a list of news sites.

Child Abuse and Neglect Organizations Search

The Child Welfare and Information Gateway offers a database for finding information about organizations with a primary focus on adoption, child abuse and neglect, child welfare, or related issues. You can limit queries by state or select a pre-defined topic, such as adoption search, children with disabilities, or foster care. The information provided includes the name and contact information of the organization, its primary functions and services, the type of organization (e.g., national) and a brief description.

ChildCare.gov

This portal provides access to a variety of child care materials, including some non-governmental information. It covers sources of current information, as well as information about running child care programs. Find links to clearinghouses, government agencies, government funded projects, legislation, news, and more. Unfortunately, the site does a poor job of indexing the topics it covers. We also experienced some trouble with its search engine (Overture?). We suggest entering single terms with liberal use of the engine's wildcard (*). Beware of unmarked links from the pay-for-positioning engine Overture.

Divorce Source

Find summaries of state divorce laws, case law, articles, and more. The site also sells books, state-specific forms, and other products and services.

DivorceNet

Find summaries of state divorce laws with citation information, articles with state-specific information, and lawyers. The site also sells divorce forms.

DOMA Watch

Intended for legislators and attorneys, but available to the public, this Web site provides information about current laws and litigation involving Defense of Marriage Acts. You will find the text of legal documents here, including court opinions and related filings. There is also a handy feature for finding the law of same-sex marriages by state.

Family Law Prof Blog

Three law professors -- Barbara Glesner Fines, Robert E. Oliphant and Nancy Ver Steegh -- blog about family law issues. They comment on legal developments and stories in the news with links to the original sources. They also provide an extensive list of resources and maintain XML-based news feeds.

International Adoption

The U.S. Department of State provides introductory information about international adoptions. It links to a more extensive brochure that outlines the role of the State Department, informs about U.S. requirements and applying for immigration visas, and more. You will also find links to related international legal documents and information.

International Child Abduction

The U.S. Department of State provides introductory information about international abductions. It outlines the role of the State Department and links to related international legal documents and information.

International Family Law Office

Provides commentary and summaries of international and foreign family law issues.

Justia Family Law Overview

Provides an overview of family law, including links to statutes, regulations, legislation, news and blogs on the topic.

Law about Divorce (Cornell LII)

Cornell's Legal Information Institute offers an overview of divorce law with links to various uniform state laws and other legal documents.

Prenuptial Agreements: The Basics

Bankrate.com explains the basics of prenuptial agreements. This document explains what they are, who should consider having one, how to approach the subject, validity, proper procedures, keeping it current, and the benefits of having one.

Same-Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography of the Legal Literature

Rutgers University librarian Paul Axel-Lute compiles and maintains this bibliography of the legal literature on same-sex marriages. It covers case law, legislation, ALR annotations, Web-based resources, books and articles going back to 1997. It also links to sources for earlier materials. While most of the citations deal with U.S. law, Axel-Lute includes some citations that cover law in foreign countries.

SupportGuidelines.com

Virginia lawyer Laura W. Morgan maintains this site devoted to helping lawyers, who are researching "the law of child support in general and child support guidelines in particular." It links to child support guidelines for fifty states and the District of Columbia. It also provides child support calculators, Chapter 1 of the treatise Child Support Guidelines: Interpretation and Application, case annotations and news summaries, articles and more.

Tables Summarizing the Law in the Fifty States

Formerly entitled, Family Law in the 50 States, The American Bar Association, Section on Family Law, offers several tables summarizing state family laws. They cover alimony, custody, child support, grounds for divorce, property division, third-party visitation, appointment laws, marital rape exemptions, child name change, state court systems for family law matters, subject matter jurisdiction and length of judges' terms.

Violence Intervention and Prevention Database

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers this bibliographic database of literature pertaining to issues of violence and children. It covers bullying, child abuse, domestic violence, mediation, school violence, and more. When available, the bibliographic record links to the full-text publication.