Introduction
For the purposes of this research guide “family law” is defined in its broadest sense, including husband and wife, parents and children, the nontraditional family, and the issues of marital property, divorce, custody, support, and family violence. Unlike most other legal topics, family law research centers on the legislation of the fifty states. There are international conventions, Federal constitutional rights, and uniform and model laws, but there is not a single family code. Researching a topic in family law may require looking at specific state codes and court decisions, uniform laws, treatises, local continuing legal education titles, and journal articles. Access to some of the electronic resources included in this research guide is restricted to University of Minnesota students; some electronic titles are restricted to law students.
Bibliographies
- Searching the Law / Frank S. Bae ...
3rd ed. Ardsley, N.Y.: Transnational Publishers, 2005. REFERENCE OFFICE / KF240.B265 2005.
See the headings: Family Law and Juveniles
- Legal Information Buyer’s Guide & Reference Manual / Kendall F. Svengalis.
N. Stonington, CT: Rhode Island LawPress, 2008. REFERENCE OFFICE / KF 1.S84x 2008.
Library Catalogs
MNCAT - Classic version (U of MN Libraries) and WorldCat (Libraries World-Wide)
Subject Searches
Suggested Library of Congress subject headings depend on the focus and the jurisdiction for your research. Very broad headings are:
- domestic relations
- domestic relations - united states
- domestic relations - minnesota
More specific subject headings include:
- divorce—law and legislation
- divorce—law and legislation—United States
- divorce—law and legislation—Minnesota
- children—legal status, laws, etc.
- children—legal status, laws, etc.—United States
- children—legal status, laws, etc.—Minnesota
- child support—law and legislation
- child support—law and legislation—United States
- child support—law and legislation—Minnesota
- custody of children
- custody of children—United States
- custody of children—Minnesota
- juvenile justice, administration of
- juvenile justice, administration of—United States
- juvenile justice, administration of—Minnesota
It may also be possible to narrow your search for books by doing a keyword search. If relevant titles are located in this way, note the Library of Congress subject headings for the retrieved records and use those headings for further catalog searching. For family law titles beyond the University’s libraries, search WorldCat, using the Library of Congress subject headings suggested.
Model / Uniform Laws
American Law Institute, Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution:
Analysis and Recommendations, 2002. RESERVE / KF535.A86 2008. (An
additional edition is at: KF535.A86 2002 and a soft cover version at KF535.A86
2003). This title is also available on LexisNexis, Westlaw, and LexisNexis Academic.
American Law Institute, Uniform Laws Annotated ( ULA),
Master edition. REFERENCE / KF165.A5 1968. Matrimonial, family, and health laws
are contained in several volumes, parts, and subparts of volumes 9 and 10. Among
the Uniform Acts included are: the Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, the
Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act, the Divorce Recognition Act, and the
Marital Property Act. ULA is also available on Westlaw.
Certain uniform laws are also available on LexisNexis Academic.
Treatises
Family Law Sources - General
- Chinn, Mark A. How to Build and Manage a Family Law Practice.
Chicago, ABA Section of Family Law, Law Practice Management Section, 2006.
KF300.C455 2006.
- Clark, Homer H. The Law of Domestic Relations in the United States.
2nd ed. St. Paul, MN: West, 1988. RESERVE / KF504.C55 1988.
- Family
Law Reporter. Washington, Bureau of National Affairs, 1974- .
LOOSE-LEAF SERVICES / KF503.4.B8 Current and unbound issues are on Reserve. Also
available electronically in Mondale Hall and remotely to Law Students.
- Gregory, John DeWitt. Understanding Family Law. 3rd ed. Newark, NJ:
LexisNexis, 2005. RESERVE / KF505.G734 2005.
- Katz, Sanford N. Family Law in America. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2003. KF505.K38x 2003.
- Krause, Harry D. Family Law in a Nutshell. 5th ed. St. Paul, MN:
Thomson/West, 2007. RESERVE / KF505.Z9.K7
2007
Children
- Hartson, John. Creating Effective Parenting Plans. Chicago,
American Bar Association, 2006. Chicago: American Bar Association, 2006.
KF547.H378 2006.
- Morgan, Laura W. Child Support Guidelines: Interpretation and
Application. New York: Aspen Law & Business, 1996- . KF549.M672.
- Ramsey, Sarah H. Children and the Law in a Nutshell. 3rd ed. St.
Paul, MN: Thomson/West, 2008. RESERVE / KF479.Z9.R36x 2008.
Juvenile Law
- Feld, Barry C. Juvenile Justice Administration in a Nutshell. 2nd
ed. St. Paul, MN: Thomson/West, 2009. RESERVE / KF9780.F45 2009.
- Gardner, Martin R. Understanding Juvenile Law. 2nd ed. Newark, NJ:
LexisNexis, 2003. RESERVE / KF9780.G37 2003.
- Juvenile Justice Standards Annotated: A Balanced Approach. Chicago:
Criminal Justice Section, American Bar Association, 1996. KF9779.A1.J88 1996.
Divorce & Marital Property
- Goldberg, Barth H. Valuation of Divorce Assets. Rev. ed. Eagan, MN:
Thomson/West, 2005. KF524.G64 2005. Also available on Westlaw.
- Gregory, John DeWitt. Property Division in Divorce Proceedings: A Fifty
State Guide. New York: Aspen Publishers, 2003-2006. KF524.G74 2003.
- Lindey, Alexander. Lindey and Parley on Separation Agreements and
Antenuptial Contracts. 2nd ed. New York, Bender, 1999- . KF535.L52.
Available on LexisNexis.
- Rice, Larry. The Complete Guide to Divorce Practice: Forms and
Procedures for the Lawyer. 3rd ed. Chicago, ABA General Practice, Solo
& Small Firm Section, 2005. KF533.5.R52 2005.
- Tingley, John. Marital Property Law, Rev. 2nd ed. Eagan, MN:
Thomson/West, 2006- . KF524.T56a.
- Turner, Brett R. Equitable Distribution of Property. 3rd ed. Eagan,
MN: Thomson/West, 2005. KF524.G64 2005. Available on Westlaw.
Domestic Abuse
- Jordan, Lisae C. The Domestic Violence Civil Law Manual: Protection
Orders and Family Law Cases. 3rd ed. Chicago: American Bar Association,
Commission on Domestic Violence, 2007. KF505.J67x 2007.
- Myers, John E. B. Myers on Evidence in Child, Domestic, and Elder Abuse
Cases. Successor ed. New York: Aspen Publishers, 2005. KF9673.M94 2005.
International
- Freeman, Michael. Article 3: the Best Interests of the Child.
Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2007. K639.F74x 2007.
- Internal and Intercountry Adoption Laws. The Hague, The
Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, 1996-2002. K7187.I58x.
- International Encyclopaedia of Laws: Family and Succession Law. The
Hague, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, 1997- . K670.F35x.
- The International Survey of Family Law. The Hague, The Netherlands:
Kluwer Law International, 1996- . K670.A13 I58x.
- Protecting the World’s Children: Impact of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child in Diverse Legal Systems. New York: Cambridge University
Press, 2007. K639.P75 2007.
- Schwenzer, Ingeborg H. Model Family Code: From a Global
Perspective. Antwerpen, Intersentia, 2006. K670.S39 2006.
- Stark, Barbara. International Family Law: An Introduction.
Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2005. K670.S73 2005.
Minnesota
- Family Law Financial Deskbook, 1st ed. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota
State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education, 2008- . RESERVE / KF209.M54x
2008 no.43.
- Minnesota Family Law Practice Manual, 3rd ed. New York: Lexis,
2001- . RESERVE / KFM5494.D38x. Available on LexisNexis.
- Scott, Robert. Juvenile Law and Practice, 3rd ed. St. Paul, MN:
Thomson/West, 2002. RESERVE & REFERENCE OFFICE / KFM5480.M53 (Minnesota
Practice, v.12-13) Available on Westlaw.
- Swaden, Martin L. Family Law. 3rd ed. St. Paul, MN: West, 2008.
RESERVE & REFERENCE OFFICE / KFM5480.M53 (Minnesota Practice, v.14).
Available on Westlaw.
It is also important to use Minnesota Continuing Legal Education
materials. These are often on very specific topics, many related to family law.
To locate appropriate titles:
Use MNCAT,
the Library Catalog
(http://umnlib.oit.umn.edu/F/?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=tcmncat").
- Select the Advanced Search function in MNCAT.
- Include the General Keywords: legal education.
- Add Subject Keywords pertaining to your topic, for example: antenuptial
contracts or marital property or adoption.
Popular Works
More than most other legal topics, family law is a subject of interest to non-attorneys. Often people try to negotiate their own relationships, divorce, property, support, or custody situations. Several titles are written specifically to help non-attorneys.
- Clifford, Denis. A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples. 14th ed. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2007. RESERVE / KF539.Z9.C87 2007.
- Doskow, Emily. Nolo’s Essential Guide to Divorce, 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2008. RESERVE / KF535.Z9.D67 2008.
- Duncan, Roderic. A Judge’s Guide to Divorce: Uncommon Advice from the Bench, 1st ed. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2007. KF535.D857 2007.
- Ihara, Toni Lynne. Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples. 14th ed. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2008. RESERVE / KF538.I35 2008.
- Jasper, Margaret C. Custodial Rights. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana, 2006. KF547.Z9.M368 2006.
- Jasper, Margaret C. The Law of Adoption. New York: Oceana, 2008. KF545.J37 2008.
- Jasper, Margaret C. Marriage and Divorce, 3rd ed. New York: Oceana, 2008. KF510.Z9.J37 2008.
Finding Periodical Articles
LegalTrac.
Los Altos, CA: Information Access, 1980- . [Vol. 1- , Jan. 1980]
- LegalTrac, covering 1980-date from the Law Library’s home page.
On LexisNexis, LexisNexis Academic, and Westlaw this index is known as the
“Legal Resource Index.
- On LexisNexis: LGLIND file. Coverage
begins January 1977.
- On Westlaw: LRI database. Coverage begins in 1980.
Index
to Legal Periodicals & Books New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1908- .
[Various title & publication changes; monthly with annual cumulations].
- LOCATION: REFERENCE / K33.I54x
- On Westlaw: ILP database. Coverage begins in August 1981.
- On LexisNexis: ILP
file. Coverage begins in 1978.
- Index to Legal Periodicals and Books (1982- ) from the Law Library’s
homepage.
Current Index to
Legal Periodicals Seattle, WA : University of Washington Law
Library and Washington Law Review, 1968- .
Minnesota
Index to Legal Periodicals (MLPI) St. Paul, MN: Minnesota State Law
Library, 1984- (Actual coverage varies by title indexed).
- LOCATION: REFERENCE / K33.M56x (in print through July 2000).
- LOCATION: Electronic version at LawMoose.
Periodicals (selective list of those currently received at the Law
Library)
Many of these titles are also available electronically to University students
and from Mondale Hall in such databases as HeinOnline or
LexisNexis Academic. To determine if there is an electronic version, search
MNCAT by doing a title search for the journal or periodical. The most recent
several years of many of these titles are also available on Westlaw or
LexisNexis.
- ABA Child Law Practice. Washington, DC : ABA Center on Children and the Law,
1996- . LOCATION: UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.A1821 / LIBRARY HAS: v.15 (1996)-.
- Family Advocate: a Practical Journal by the ABA Family Law Section. Chicago,
IL: The Section, 1978- . LOCATION: UM/LAW/KF501.A3.F33 / LIBRARY HAS: v.1
(1978)- . Full text is also available via HeinOnline.
- Family Court Review. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001- . LOCATION:
UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.C652 / LIBRARY HAS: v.39 (2001)-. Full text is also
available via LexisNexis Academic.
- Family Law Quarterly. Chicago: Section of Family Law, American Bar
Association, 1967- . LOCATION: UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.F346 / LIBRARY HAS: v.1
(1967)-. Full text is also available via HeinOnline.
- Journal of Law & Family Studies. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah
College of Law, 1999- . LOCATION: IM/LAW/PERIOCIALS/Per.J7479 / LIBRARY HAS: v.1
(1999)- . Full text is also available via HeinOnline.
- Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Madison, WI: For the
Academy by the University of Wisconsin Law School, 1985- . LOCATION:
UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.J7764 / LIBRARY HAS: v.1 (1985)- . Full text is also
available via HeinOnline.
- Minnesota Family Law Journal. St. Paul, MN: Mason Pub. Co., 1981- .
LOCATION: UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.M58 / LIBRARY HAS: v.1 (1981)- . Full text is
on LexisNexis beginning with v. 15.
- UC Davis Journal of Juvenile Law and Policy. Davis, CA: Advocates for the
Rights of Children, UC Davis School of Law, 1996- . LOCATION:
UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.U13 / LIBRARY HAS: No. 1 (1996)-. Full text is also
available via HeinOnline.
- Whittier Journal of Child and Family Advocacy. Costa Mesa, CA: Whittier Law
School, 2002- . LOCATION: UM/LAW/PERIODICALS/Per.W523 / LIBRARY HAS: v.1
(2002)-.
Related Web Sites
In addition to all of the titles noted above, there are many websites centered on subtopics within family law. These websites are from commercial, organizational, governmental, and academic sources.
Family Law
Abortion
- Public Agenda -Abortion Issue Guide
"Public Agenda is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research and citizen education organization. The abortion issue guide contains links to sources and resources including organizations representing different perspectives on the abortion issue.
Pro-Choice Organizations & View Points
Anti-Abortion Organizations & View Points
Adoption
- Adoption Information & Resources - Child Welfare Information Gateway (Children's Bureau, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services)
- Adoption Resources (Adoption Web Ring)
- Adoption Law - Wex Legal Encyclopedia (Legal Information Institute Cornell Law School)
Includes links to major statutes, cases and secondary sources.
- Adoption & Child Welfare LawSite (National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, Capital University Law School)
Resources for, "prospective adoptive parents, biological parents, adoption and child welfare lawyers, juvenile and family court judges and child advocates." The site includes, "statutes, regulations, key cases, and leading explanatory law review and practice journal articles concerning child welfare and adoption laws for each U.S. State. Also included are plain English summaries of most of the legal material hosted here."
- Adoption Policy Resource Center (Adoption Subsidy Advocates)
- Adoption.org
Search engine focused on adoption.
Juveniles & the Law
Westlaw, LexisNexis & LexisNexis Academic
Within Westlaw’s “topical materials by area of practice” and LexisNexis’ “areas
of law” there are family law files that include cases and statutes from the
states as well as law review articles, forms and treatises. As with print
research, it is necessary to specify the jurisdiction you want to search.
State Law Survey Resources
LexisNexis
- Multi-Jurisdictional Surveys by Topic With Analysis. This file contains “compilations of key information about important legal issues across all 50 states. The file name is JCALL.
- Family Law Multi-Jurisdictional Surveys with Analysis. The file name is JC25.
- LexisNexis 50 State Surveys, Legislation & Regulations. The file name is SURVEY.
Westlaw
- 50 State Surveys provides access to state and federal statutes. The file name is SURVEYS .
- 50 State Regulatory Surveys “contains a variety of topical surveys providing references to applicable state regulations.” The file name is REG-SURVEYS .
National Survey of State Laws, Richard A. Leiter, ed.
Detroit: Thomson/Gale, 1993- . LOCATION: 1st -5th eds. (1993-2005) at REFERENCE / KF386.N38, current edition (6th, 2007) in REFERENCE OFFICE / KF386.N38.
“Presented in chart format, this reference allows users to make basic state-by-state comparisons of current state laws.” The family law section includes: abortions, adoption, annulment & prohibited marriage, child abuse & child custody, defense of marriage acts, grounds for divorce, marital property, marriage age requirements, and protective orders.
Subject Compilations of State Laws.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981- . LOCATION: REFERENCE / KF1.S83x.
An annotated bibliography of books, periodical articles, state and federal government documents, loose-leaf services and court opinions which contain compilations of or citations to state statutes on a wide range of topics. The bibliography is arranged in alphabetical order by topic. Among the family law topics are: adoption, child abuse and child custody, divorce, domestic violence, marriage, parental rights, and paternity. The earliest edition covered materials published from 1960-1979; now published annually. This title is also now available on HeinOnline.
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