Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships; issues arising during marriage, including spousal abuse, legitimacy, adoption, surrogacy, child abuse, and child abduction; the termination of the relationship and ancillary matters including divorce, annulment, property settlements, alimony, and parental responsibility orders (in the United States, child custody and visitation, child support and alimony awards).
Branford is a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, eight miles (13 km) east of New Haven. The population was 29,089 in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.