LAW 7025 :
Family Law

This course encompasses a wide range of family law topics including marriage/remarriage, annulment/divorce, division of marital property, spousal support, temporary alimony/post- divorce alimony, paternity, child custody, child support and protection from abuse. The black letter law will be covered, but we also will discuss historical, cultural, economic, sociological and psychological perspectives on family law. Moreover, we will also focus on both practice and procedure in domestic relations, including a review of past questions on the Pennsylvania bar exam. Students will learn about the practical application of family law concepts and rules. This course is designed for voluntary student-participation. We will emphasize ethics in domestic-relations practice and we will cover the dynamic trends in familylaw, i.e. the aspects that make this field so "cutting edge". We will address not only conventional aspects of family law, but how and why the field changes, with an emphasis on areas like marriage-equality, the role of bio- and digital-technology, mental-health factors, domestic violence, etc. There is no midterm in this course. But there are periodic assignments that require you to examine how Pennsylvania law is different from other jurisdictions. We devote two classes at the end of the semester for a comprehensive review. There is a final exam that not only tests your ability to problem-solve, but your knowledge of Pennsylvania family law. Exam Info: Exam administered during exam period.