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).
Rutland is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,353 at the 2000 census. Worcester County's only buffalo herd is located in Rutland, at Alta Vista Farm. Rutland is the geographic center of Massachusetts; a tree, The Central Tree, located on Central Tree Rd. marks the general spot. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Rutland, please see the article Rutland (CDP), Massachusetts.