Stephen Tretheway 2-27-13 Family Law

Family law is one of the most important topics in the United States today. Many people have very different beliefs when it comes to this topic. There are many different definitions of what a family is. There are religious definitions and cultural definitions. Wherever there are questions about what a family is, there is always controversy. Family is defined many different ways. There are two different types of a family. The structural definition of a family is when people share a residence, or they are related through blood ties or legal commitments. The functional definition of a family is when two or more people live together and perform functions that they have to rely on. The traditional definition of a family is a mother and a father who get married, and have either biological children or they adopted their own children. The definition of what a family is will always be under some type of under scrutiny. Legally recognized families and marriages have certain benefits that others can’t get. One benefit is that the family can get healthcare for each family member. Another benefit is they can all get insurance on one another. Also, the two spouses become tax dependants on each other. You can also receive social security and disability benefits for spouses. There also is the ability to create a "family partnership" under federal tax laws, which allows you to divide business income among family members. Having a legally recognized family can help you spread out and save your money throughout your family. Custody of children after a legal separation or divorce is another hot topic in family issues. There are many different types of custody. One type is legal custody, which is the legal authority to make major decisions for the better of the child. Another type of custody is physical custody of the child. This is when the child lives at a certain residence for most of the time. There are also visitation rights, which is when a parent who does not have physical custody of the child to see their child or children on a regular basis. When the parents get a divorce, the court system usually like to awards joint custody