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).
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census. Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids about 35 miles north. The Kalamazoo River flows through the center of the city. Plainwell is the birth place of syndicated cartoonist Dave Coverly, creator of the Speed Bump comic strip, actor Ed Gale, famous for his role as Howard the Duck in the movie of the same name, and writer and journalist Kathleen Davis. The city also includes Plainwell Ice Cream, which recently received an award for being Southwest Michigan's Best Tasting Ice Cream. Its owners are Art and Judy Gaylord, who have been in business for 31 seasons. Though it sounds somewhat common, there are no other communities named Plainwell anywhere in the United States.