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).
Chatham is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,583 at the 2000 census. A special census conducted in 2005 put the population at 10,260. The village lies along the original alignment of historic U.S. Route 66. Chatham is part of the Springfield, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.