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).
Lancaster (lān-kŭs'tər) is a city in Lancaster County, South Carolina which is in the United States and is located 32 miles south of Charlotte North Carolina . As of the United States Census, 2007 census, the city population was 9,715. It is the county seat of Lancaster County. The city was named after the famous House of Lancaster . Lancaster County is number 147 in US micropolitan areas; with a 2008 population estimate of 73,393 in the micropolitan area. It is the boyhood home of the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson. Locally, the city is pronounced as "lane-cuh-stur," with emphasis placed on the first syllable, and the middle syllable being very short. In August 2008, the city was victim of two arson attacks on county buildings. The nearly 200-year-old county courthouse designed by South Carolina architect Robert Mills was heavily damaged in a fire, followed by a similar fire at the county district attorney's office three days later. On September 18, 2008, Martavious Carter, age 17, was arrested for multiple burglaries and also charged with the arson in these two cases. The courthouse holds the distinction of being the site of the last witch trials to take place in the United States.