An Introduction to Family Law

Gillian Douglas examines family law in England and Wales within a broad social context. The book explores how the law regulates family life, beginning with a discussion of the main social changes and influences on family law in modern society. It then examines which family relationships are legally recognised and the legal consequences that flow from recognition and non-recognition. Family Law provides a detailed account of how children’s interests are viewed and protected in family law, and concludes with a consideration of how the law handles the ending of family relationships. Throughout, the book draws out the linkages between different aspects of the subject and its relationship with other areas of the law and with other disciplines. Gillian Douglas also takes full account of the influence of international law, particularly human rights law under the newly incorporated European Convention on Human Rights.

Author Biography

Gillian Douglas is Professor of Law and Head of Cardiff Law School at Cardiff University, and is widely recognised as a leading authority on family law, a subject on which she has written extensively. She is also the joint case comments editor of the journal Family Law and case commentaries editor of the Child and Family Law Quarterly. Professor Douglas is the Secretary-General of the International Society of Family Law and contributes (with Nigel Lowe) the section
on international developments in family law in the Society’s annual International Survey of Family Law. She is currently the Vice-Chair of Family Mediation Cardiff, an advisor to the Marriage, Divorce
and Family Workshops run by One Plus One Marriage and Partnership Research, and an Associate of the National Family and Parenting Institute.