Dealing with Family Law: A Canadian Guide

Charlotte Neff is an associate professor of law and justice at
Laurentian University and co-author of The Annotated Competition Act
1992.

This book provides an unusual perspective on family law in that instead
of covering the traditional subjects of marriage and divorce—and the
latter’s attendant problems of custody, support, and property
distribution—it looks at some major contemporary issues affecting the
family. These include the rights of unmarried cohabiting couples (both
opposite- and same-sex), domestic contracts, spousal and child abuse,
and mediation and arbitration as alternatives to court for family
conflict resolution.

While the book raises many of the policy issues affecting the modern
family, and considers some nonlegal responses to problems, its primary
aim is to present and interpret the law as it applies to the subject at
hand. Each chapter ends with a question-and-answer section for those
seeking specific information. Directed at the general public, the book
does not consider any of its subjects in the kind of depth required by
either legal professionals or academics. It does, however, provide
references for readers interested in pursuing a particular subject
further. If supplemented with cases, statutes, and more in-depth
critical commentary, this book, together with its companion book title,
Dealing with Divorce, could form part of the course materials for an
introductory family law course.