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).
Jonesville is a town in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, at the confluence of the Ouachita, Tensas, and Little rivers. The three rivers become the Black River at Jonesville though the "Black" is primarily the continuation of the Ouachita River. A new bridge over the Black River is under construction. After some miles, the Black flows into the Red River. The Jonesville population was 2,469 at the 2000 census. The parish seat is Harrisonburg to the north, which is actually smaller than Jonesville. Chris Shivers, a champion rodeo performer, lives with his family in Jonesville. William B. Atkins, a former member of both house of the Louisiana State Legislature (1980–1988), is from Jonesville.