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Family Law and Practice, 5th edition

Published by Pearson (January 1, 2019) © 2020

  • Grace A. Luppino Southern Connecticut State University
  • Justine Fitzgerald Miller Branford Hall Career Institute

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For courses in family law for students in paralegal studies and broader legal studies programs.

Connecting theory, history and practice in family law

Family Law and Practice prepares students to enter the workplace with a firm grasp of family law and procedural components of family law practice. To meet this challenge, the authors address the content in two parts: the first introduces the principles of family law and the second translates theory into practice.

The 5th Edition addresses changing views on marriage, spousal roles, children's status in the family, and even what constitutes a family. It also adds cases, statutes and legal forms from a variety of US states to engage students across the country.

Hallmark features of this title

An active skill-building approach

  • Building Your Paralegal Skills activities prompt students to read a case, then complete activities prompting them to apply legal principles to modern issues of family law.
  • Sample family forms throughout the text give students hands-on practice drafting family law documents, including complaints, motions, orders and agreements.
  • Chapter Review and Reinforcement lets students gauge their understanding of key terms and legal concepts.

Focus on career prep

  • Building Your Professional Portfolio presents a scenario and asks students to generate a sample legal document. Along the way, students build a portfolio they can share with prospective employers.

New and updated features of this title

Key principles and issues of family law

  • UPDATE: Updates on the status of same-sex marriage in the US (Ch. 1) includes the legal effect of Obergefell v. Hodges, the US Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage nationally.
  • NEW: The divorce process and post judgment matters are covered in a new section addressing efforts across the country to eliminate permanent or lifetime alimony (Ch. 5).
  • NEW: New complex custody topics (Ch. 7, 9 and 11) are addressed, including grandparents' rights, parental alienation, allegations of parental sexual abuse of children, and custody disputes over extra embryos produced for IVF.
  • NEW: A new section on e-discovery (Ch. 16) deals with managing electronic information from an opposing party in a legal case.

Practical skills

  • NEW: A new hypothetical child support case (Ch. 8) includes a step-by-step calculation of child support due, as well as guidance to help students adjust calculations to their jurisdiction.
  • NEW: Students learn to navigate court-filed documents and information-gathering tools used to resolve financial issues, as well as custody and visitation dispositions. This edition adds new legal forms from a variety of US states.

1. Introduction to Family Law and Practice

PART 1: FAMILY LAW
Introduction to Part 1: Family Law
2. Marriage and Marriage Alternatives
3. Premarital and Postmarital Agreements
4. Divorce, Separation, and Annulment
5. Alimony, Spousal Support, and Maintenance
6. Property and Debt Distribution
7. Child Custody, Visitation, and Rights of Third Parties
8. Child Support
9. Paternity and the Rights and Responsibilities of Unmarried Parents
10. Family Violence and State Intervention
11. Adoption and Surrogacy Contracts

PART 2: FAMILY PRACTICE
Introduction to Part 2: Family Practice
12. Ethics in Family Law
13. The Client Interview
14. Initial Pleadings: Starting The Process
15. Temporary Relief
16. Discovery in The Electronic Age
17. Separation Agreements
18. Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Divorce Trial
19. Postjudgment Divorce Matters

APPENDICES
A. Arizona and California Premarital Agreement Acts
B. Alexander Rodriguez Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
C. Rihanna and Chris Brown Search Warrant and Affidavit
D. Bill Maher Palimony Complaint
E. David Voelkert Criminal Complaint and Dismissal of Criminal Complaint

About our authors

Grace A. Luppino obtained her undergraduate degree in business administration and paralegal science from Sacred Heart University and graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked as a paralegal in a criminal law firm and as a court advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Luppino transitioned into intellectual property after operating a family law and child protection practice in New Haven, Connecticut. She has been a paralegal educator for over 25 years and is now an adjunct professor at Southern Connecticut State University, where she teaches business law. Ms. Luppino is a member of the US Trademark Department at Nolte Intellectual Property Law Group and is responsible for providing advice and assistance to clients in trademark prosecution and post-registration matters.

Justine FitzGerald Miller received a BA in history from Vassar College, an MS in counseling and human development from Southern Connecticut State University, and a JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She has practiced law since 1990 and for several years engaged in civil rights litigation, employment law and family law. She currently concentrates on habeas corpus litigation and criminal appeals. Attorney Miller also taught in a paralegal studies program for over 10 years.

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