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).
Westfield is a town in Orleans County, Vermont in the United States. The population was 503 at the 2000 census. It is the least densely populated (most rural) town in the county. The town was founded in 1780 and named after Rhode Island general and politician, William West, a supporter of Vermont statehood. Westfield is home to the Monastery of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a contemplative order of women, following the Benedictine rule.