Research Handbooks in Family Law series – serie

This Research Handbook examines the evolution of understandings and legal definitions of domestic abuse, illustrating the importance of expanding these beyond physical violence to encompass coercive control. Drawing on academic literature, legal doctrine and the lived experiences of victims and survivors, it highlights how responses to domestic abuse can be improved in civil, family and criminal justice systems.Through an analysis of global legal developments, contributing authors identify failures in the handling of domestic abuse and provide expert insight into how to address these. They focus in particular on the law and processes for obtaining protection orders across jurisdictions, and the handling of domestic abuse in financial and child arrangement proceedings following the breakdown of a relationship. Chapters also cover key issues such as LGBTQ+ intimate partner violence, the prosecution and sentencing of domestic abuse and defences for victims/survivors. The Research Handbook emphasises the importance of effective legal responses to domestic abuse in fulfilling human rights treaty obligations.The Research Handbook on Domestic Violence and Abuse is an essential resource for scholars and students of family law, criminal law, criminal justice and social policy. It is also an important guide for legal professionals seeking to sensitively handle cases involving domestic abuse.

With a focus on the 1980 Hague Convention, this cutting-edge Research Handbook provides a holistic overview of the law on international child abduction from prevention, through voluntary agreements and Convention proceedings, to post-return and aftercare issues.Discussing the repercussions of abduction from the perspectives of both abducted children and the therapeutic and family justice professionals engaged in their cases, chapters consider the contributions of the many professionals and key agencies involved in the field. Identifying the 1980 Hague Convention as the principal global instrument for dealing with child abduction, the Research Handbook traces its role, history, development and impact, alongside the mechanisms required for its effective use. Evaluating current trends, areas of concern in legal/judicial practice and various regional initiatives, it also considers alternatives to high-conflict court proceedings in international child abduction cases. The Convention’s strengths, successes, weaknesses and gaps are discussed, and the Research Handbook concludes by addressing how best to tackle the challenges in its future operation.Interdisciplinary and accessible in approach, the contributions from renowned subject specialists will prove useful to students and scholars of human rights and family law, international law and the intersections between law and gender studies, politics and sociology. Its combination of research, policy and practice will be of value to legal practitioners working in family law alongside NGOs and central authorities active in the field.

Bringing together scholars from a wide range of disciplines, this fascinating and timely Research Handbook provides diverse perspectives on the law and practice of adoption. It examines how adoption laws differ between countries and cultures, and the ongoing effects of adoption on the child, the birth parent(s), and the adoptive parent(s). This Research Handbook documents the history of adoption legislation and offers comparative perspectives on the implementation of full adoption in England and Wales, in contrast to the use of simple adoption in other European countries. Chapters examine the challenges facing adoption law; from adoption without parental consent and anonymous birth, to transracial and intercountry adoption, as well as discussing the human rights of the child during and after the adoption process. Providing an abundance of global research on all aspects of the topic of adoption, Nigel Lowe and Claire Fenton-Glynn offer a comprehensive guide to the past, present, and future of adoption law. The Research Handbook of Adoption Law will be an indispensable resource for students and researchers of family law and social work, as well as human rights lawyers, legal practitioners in the field of adoption, and social workers worldwide.

This insightful Research Handbook provides an international perspective on the key legal debates surrounding marriage and cohabitation. Drawing on the expertise of established and emerging scholars, a comparative approach is used to analyse cross-jurisdictional trends and divergences in relationship recognition and family formation.Chapter authors explore the contested meanings and changing boundaries of marriage, the scope and role of alternative opt-in regimes, and the justification for conferring rights and responsibilities based on intimate relationships. Responding to the rising numbers of couples cohabiting without formalising their relationship, contributors examine how legal systems should respond to these changing patterns of relationships, and what it means to be a ‘family’ in different societies. Ultimately, they argue against imposing a particular view of what marriage should be, showcasing the importance of a diverse range of views and perspectives on the topic.The Research Handbook on Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law presents a comprehensive overview of the field, and will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of family law, law and gender, and law and society. It will also be an essential guide for policy-makers and legal practitioners seeking insights into the processes of family formation across jurisdictions.

This pivotal Research Handbook analyses the interconnectedness of family property and the law through historical, contemporary, comparative and jurisdiction-specific lenses. Authors analyse some of the most well-known, contested and politicised legal developments in the field of family property law. Bringing together leading international scholars, the Research Handbook on Family Property and the Law considers the key policy issues that impact family property entitlement, including the extent to which wealth, class and race influence its distribution. It explores the defining features of family property, such as how it is conceptualised, created and legally recognised, and how it has evolved over time. Authors examine the recipients, recognition and redistribution of family property, queer perspectives on property protections in marriage and other registered partnerships, and family property law in a variety of regions including Africa, Asia, Australasia, the Caribbean, Europe and North America. This comprehensive Research Handbook will be a vital resource for academics and students specialising in family law, human rights law, property law, social policy and succession law. It will also benefit legal practitioners and national and international policymakers in the field.

The Research Handbook on International Family Law brings together a carefully selected array of experts to address legal topics pertaining to family relationships in a cross-border context, and international family law disputes. It shows how this independent field of study has developed, and continues to develop, and adeptly surveys the practice and regulation of international family law.This Research Handbook presents critical perspectives on complex issues arising in the field of international family law. It adopts an international approach, considering a range of jurisdictions and perspectives, and shows that, as the number of international families increases, so too does the potential for cross-border, family law disputes. The Handbook provides a scholarly overview of current research in international family law, and the contributing authors offer critical analysis of topics such as legal parentage, intercountry adoption, habitual residence, parental responsibility, child and family relocation, international child abduction, forced marriage, and the financial and property consequences of adult relationships.This Research Handbook is an essential reference work for scholars and researchers of family law and private international law. Likewise, legal practitioners working in the international family law arena will benefit from this important resource due to its focus on research, policy and practice.