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).
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Geographically, it is situated 40 miles (64 km) south of the Oklahoma–Texas border and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Dallas. Denton is home to two state universities, the University of North Texas, the largest university in North Texas, and Texas Woman's University, a historically single-sex college completely co-ed since 1994. Altogether, over 45,000 students participate in courses at the two universities. The presence of these two large universities leads to Denton being characterized frequently as a college town. A Texas land grant led to the formation of Denton County in 1846, and the city in 1857. Both were named after pioneer and Texas militia captain John B. Denton. The establishment of the two universities helped distinguish the city from neighboring regions. As a result, educational services, as well as retail trade, play the largest roles in the Denton's economy. The town is known for its active music life, which Paste magazine named America's "Best Music Scene" in 2008. The annual North Texas State Fair and Rodeo and the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival are major events that attract over 300,000 people. Denton has seen considerable growth in recent years and in 2006, Money magazine named Denton No. 58 out of the "Top 100 Best Places to Live in America."