Family law, what is it?
What is Family Law? It is the law about relationships, rights and duties within families. In Canada, the two main sources of family law are federal and provincial law. For example, the Divorce Act is federal law; the Family Law Act, provincial law. Family law includes the law applying to children and to the legal relationships and responsibilities that adults have toward children. Family law also includes adoptions and the law around the care and protection of children. This includes the emergency protection of children. Does Family Law cover only children and marriage? No. Family Law also covers intimate adult relationships where there is no marriage. The old-fashioned word for an unmarried relationship is “common law relationship.” Today, under Alberta Law, the legal term is actually “adult interdependent relationship.” The main law is the Adult Interdependent Relationships Act. What laws and other documents cover family law? Federal law and provincial law can apply to family law in
