This textbook aims to reduce the increasingly complex field of modern English family law to manageable proportions. It incorporates the rules and delegated legislation under the Children Act 1989, emphasizing social security and the impact of the creation of the Child Support Agency. Other additions to this revised and updated edition include the proposals for the reform of the Divorce Law made by the Law Commission and recent developments relating to the financial consequences of the breakdown of a relationship. The author makes extensive use of the facts of decided cases to illustrate the workings of the law.