Historical Perspective on Family Law

There has long been a body of law that governed personal relationships and the legal consequences growing out of them, most notably marriage, the rights of married women, the parent – child relationship, and the role of the state in the well-being of children.

Midway through the 20th century, that body of law began to have a more prominent role in American culture. Attorneys who handled cases arising from it began to identify themselves as domestic relations lawyers or matrimonial lawyers or family law attorneys.