Existing legal rules affecting family relationships and the function of lawyers in their administration are examined, and a critical evaluation of these rules in the light of social objectives is undertaken. The subject includes the laws relating to entry into marriage and dissolution of marriage; the consequences of separation and divorce (maintenance and property rights; custody and access); parents and children; adoption; de facto relationships. The role of lawyers in the process of dissolution, particularly in the fields of counselling, conciliation and mediation, is considered, along with a full treatment of the Family Law Act 1975 (Commonwealth).