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).
Hopewell Junction is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 2,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. Hopewell Junction is located within the Town of East Fishkill. It was ranked #31 on Money Magazine's Most Desirable Places to Live for 2005. Hopewell Junction was originally a railroad junction where the Newburg, Dutchess and Connecticut Railroad met the New York and New England Railroad and Dutchess County Railroad. All three became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system, and the ND&C to the southwest and the NY&NE are now owned by the Housatonic Railroad and used by Metro-North for equipment moves between its Hudson Line and Harlem Line.