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).
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street. The official 2007 population estimate for Laurel city was 21,619; adding the residents in Laurel's postal zip codes outside city limits, the population was 87,810 as of the 2000 census. Laurel is near Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, the Fort Meade Army base, and the National Security Agency (NSA). It is also adjacent to Laurel Park Racecourse, a horse racetrack in Anne Arundel County.