# Family Law (American TV series)

Family Law is an American legal drama television series, created by Paul Haggis, that aired on CBS from September 20, 1999, to May 27, 2002. This series starring Kathleen Quinlan as divorced lawyer Lynn Holt, who attempted to start her own law firm after her husband left both her and their law practice, taking all of their clients with him.
The show also starred Christopher McDonald as opportunistic, ambulance-chasing attorney Rex Weller, Julie Warner as Lynn's friend Danni (and the one member of her former firm's staff who did not defect with Lynn's ex-husband), and Dixie Carter as "pit bull" divorce attorney Randi King. Later cast additions included Tony Danza, Cristián de la Fuente, Salli Richardson, and Meredith Eaton as Emily Resnick, an ambitious attorney hoping to make partner.
Edwin Starr's 1970 hit song, "War" was used as the series' opening title theme, in season one. A cover version of the song was performed by The Brink and used in season two and three.

## Cast

* Kathleen Quinlan as Lynn Holt
* Julie Warner as Danni Lipton (seasons 1–2)
* Christopher McDonald as Rex Weller
* Dixie Carter as Randi King
* Cristián de la Fuente as Andres Diaz (seasons 1–2)
* Salli Richardson as Viveca Foster
* Merrilee McCommas as Patricia Dumar
* Michelle Horn as Cassie Holt
* David Dorfman as Rupert Holt
* Tony Danza as Joe Celano (seasons 2–3)
* Orla Brady as Naoise O'Neill (season 2–3)
* Meredith Eaton as Emily Resnick (season 3)

### Notes

* ↑ Portrayed by Rosemarie Martin in the pilot.
* ↑ Portrayed by Elliott & Jordan Dolling in the pilot. Portrayed by Blake Rossi during season 1.

## Episodes

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 23 | 23 | September 20, 1999 (1999-09-20) | May 8, 2000 (2000-05-08) |
| 2 | 24 | 24 | October 2, 2000 (2000-10-02) | May 21, 2001 (2001-05-21) |
| 3 | 21 | 21 | September 24, 2001 (2001-09-24) | May 27, 2002 (2002-05-27) |

### Season 1 (1999–2000)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Paul Haggis | Paul Haggis & Anne Kenney | September 20, 1999 (1999-09-20) | 101 |
| 2 | 2 | "Damages" | Paul Haggis | Paul Haggis & David Shore | September 27, 1999 (1999-09-27) | 102 |
| 3 | 3 | "All God's Creatures" | Paul Haggis | Stephen Nathan & Paul Haggis | October 4, 1999 (1999-10-04) | 103 |
| 4 | 4 | "Prisoners" | Fred Gerber | Anne Kenney | October 11, 1999 (1999-10-11) | 104 |
| 5 | 5 | "The List" | Richard J. Lewis | Judith Feldman & Sarah Woodside Gallagher | October 18, 1999 (1999-10-18) | 105 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Nanny" | Fred Gerber | Stephen Nathan | October 25, 1999 (1999-10-25) | 106 |
| 7 | 7 | "Games" | Perry Lang | David Shore | November 8, 1999 (1999-11-08) | 107 |
| 8 | 8 | "The Fourth Trimester" | John Patterson | Thomas L. Moran | November 15, 1999 (1999-11-15) | 108 |
| 9 | 9 | "Holt vs. Holt" | Fred Gerber | Anne Kenney | November 22, 1999 (1999-11-22) | 109 |
| 10 | 10 | "Four Drops of Blood" | Michael Schultz | Judith Feldman & Sarah Woodside Gallagher | November 29, 1999 (1999-11-29) | 110 |
| 11 | 11 | "Decisions" | Adam Nimoy | David Shore & Stephen Nathan | December 13, 1999 (1999-12-13) | 111 |
| 12 | 12 | "Media Relations" | Elodie Keene | Gay Walch | January 10, 2000 (2000-01-10) | 112 |
| 13 | 13 | "Human Error" | Fred Gerber | Thomas L. Moran | January 17, 2000 (2000-01-17) | 113 |
| 14 | 14 | "Stealing Home" | Stephen Nathan | Vivienne Radkoff | January 24, 2000 (2000-01-24) | 114 |
| 15 | 15 | "A Mother's Son" | Richard J. Lewis | Anne Kenney & Judith Feldman & Sarah Woodside Gallagher | February 7, 2000 (2000-02-07) | 115 |
| 16 | 16 | "Are You My Father?" | Anita Addison | Susan Hamilton Brin | February 21, 2000 (2000-02-21) | 116 |
| 17 | 17 | "Metamorphosis" | Fred Gerber | Edmond Stevens | February 28, 2000 (2000-02-28) | 117 |
| 18 | 18 | "Necessity" | Ericson Core | Stephen Nathan & David Shore | March 6, 2000 (2000-03-06) | 118 |
| 19 | 19 | "Playing God" | Fred Gerber | Tricia Brock & Marc Flanagan | March 20, 2000 (2000-03-20) | 119 |
| 20 | 20 | "The Witness" | Kari Skogland | Jeff King | April 17, 2000 (2000-04-17) | 120 |
| 21 | 21 | "Second Chance" | Fred Gerber | Bill Chais & David Shore | April 24, 2000 (2000-04-24) | 121 |
| 22 | 22 | "Love and Money" | Elodie Keene | Story by : Judith Feldman & Sarah Woodside Gallagher Teleplay by : Stephen Nathan & David Shore | May 1, 2000 (2000-05-01) | 122 |
| 23 | 23 | "Possession Is Nine Tenths of the Law" | Ericson Core | David Shore & Stephen Nathan | May 8, 2000 (2000-05-08) | 123 |

### Season 2 (2000–01)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
| 24 | 1 | "The Choice" | Paul Haggis | Paul Haggis & Edmond Stevens | October 2, 2000 (2000-10-02) | 201 |
| 25 | 2 | "One Mistake" | Fred Gerber | Paul Haggis & David Shore | October 9, 2000 (2000-10-09) | 202 |
| 26 | 3 | "Affairs of State" | Fred Gerber | Paul Haggis & Stephen Nathan | October 16, 2000 (2000-10-16) | 203 |
| 27 | 4 | "Going Home" | Fred Gerber | Linda McGibney & David Shore | October 23, 2000 (2000-10-23) | 204 |
| 28 | 5 | "Telling Lies: Part 1" | Fred Gerber | Paul Haggis & Anne Kenney | October 30, 2000 (2000-10-30) | 205 |
| 29 | 6 | "Telling Lies: Part 2" | Jerry Levine | Stephen Nathan & David Shore | November 6, 2000 (2000-11-06) | 206 |
| 30 | 7 | "For Love" | Stephen Nathan | Bill Chais & Marjorie David | November 13, 2000 (2000-11-13) | 207 |
| 31 | 8 | "Family Values" | Oz Scott | Ashley Gable & Thomas L. Moran | November 20, 2000 (2000-11-20) | 208 |
| 32 | 9 | "Echoes" | Martha Mitchell | Jonathan Estrin | November 27, 2000 (2000-11-27) | 209 |
| 33 | 10 | "Generations" | Fred Gerber | E.J. Safirstein | December 11, 2000 (2000-12-11) | 210 |
| 34 | 11 | "Intentions" | Richard J. Lewis | Linda McGibney & Edmond Stevens | January 8, 2001 (2001-01-08) | 211 |
| 35 | 10 | "Film at Eleven" | Ericson Core | Christopher Ambrose & Lawrence Kaplow | January 15, 2001 (2001-01-15) | 212 |
| 36 | 13 | "Separation" | Fred Gerber | Stephen Nathan & David Shore | January 29, 2001 (2001-01-29) | 213 |
| 37 | 14 | "The Quality of Mercy" | Miles Watkins | Majorie David, Stephen Nathan & David Shore | February 5, 2001 (2001-02-05) | 214 |
| 38 | 15 | "Liar's Club: Part 1" | Jeremy Kagan | Ashley Gable & Thomas L. Moran | February 19, 2001 (2001-02-19) | 215 |
| 39 | 16 | "Liar's Club: Part 2" | Fred Gerber | Stephen Nathan & David Shore | February 26, 2001 (2001-02-26) | 216 |
| 40 | 17 | "Soul Custody" | Oz Scott | Bill Chais & Stephen Nathan | March 12, 2001 (2001-03-12) | 217 |
| 41 | 18 | "Safe at Home" | Paul Haggis | Thomas L. Moran & Paul Haggis | March 19, 2001 (2001-03-19) | 218 |
| 42 | 19 | "The Gay Divorcee" | Jerry Levine | Stephen Nathan & David Shore | April 9, 2001 (2001-04-09) | 219 |
| 43 | 20 | "Bringing Up Babies" | Richard J. Lewis | Linda McGibney & David Shore | April 16, 2001 (2001-04-16) | 220 |
| 44 | 21 | "Americans" | Elodie Keene | Stephen Nathan, David Shore & Scott Cameron | April 30, 2001 (2001-04-30) | 221 |
| 45 | 22 | "Recovery" | Fred Gerber | Stephen Nathan, David Shore & Jason Preston | May 7, 2001 (2001-05-07) | 222 |
| 46 | 23 | "Clemency" | Paul Haggis | Bill Chais, Paul Haggis & Thomas L. Moran | May 14, 2001 (2001-05-14) | 223 |
| 47 | 24 | "Planting Seeds" | Elodie Keene | Ashley Gable, Stephen Nathan & David Shore | May 21, 2001 (2001-05-21) | 224 |

### Season 3 (2001–02)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
| 48 | 1 | "Irreparable Harm" | Fred Gerber | Story by : Paul Haggis & Jan Nash and Lawrence Kaplow Teleplay by : Lawrence Kaplow and Stephan Nathan & David Shore | September 24, 2001 (2001-09-24) | 301 |
| 49 | 2 | "Moving On" | Fred Gerber | Christopher Ambrose & Lawrence Kaplow | October 1, 2001 (2001-10-01) | 302 |
| 50 | 3 | "Obligations" | Oz Scott | Ashley Gable | October 8, 2001 (2001-10-08) | 303 |
| 51 | 4 | "My Brother's Keeper" | Ericson Core | Story by : Thomas L. Moran & Vivienne Radkoff Teleplay by : Thomas L. Moran | October 15, 2001 (2001-10-15) | 304 |
| 52 | 5 | "Against All Odds" | Fred Gerber | Christopher Ambrose | October 22, 2001 (2001-10-22) | 305 |
| 53 | 6 | "Sacrifices" | Oz Scott | Gregg Gettas & Scott Cameron | October 29, 2001 (2001-10-29) | 306 |
| 54 | 7 | "All in the Family" | Jerry Levine | Ayanna Floyd | November 5, 2001 (2001-11-05) | 307 |
| 55 | 8 | "Security" | Fred Gerber | I.C. Rapoport | November 12, 2001 (2001-11-12) | 308 |
| 56 | 9 | "No Options" | Jerry Levine | Lindsay Sturman | November 19, 2001 (2001-11-19) | 309 |
| 57 | 10 | "Sex, Lies and the Internet" | Oz Scott | Bill Chais & Thomas L. Moran | December 10, 2001 (2001-12-10) | 310 |
| 58 | 11 | "Angel's Flight" | Max Mayer | Paul Haggis & Jan Nash | December 17, 2001 (2001-12-17) | 311 |
| 59 | 12 | "Blood and Water" | Max Mayer | Jan Nash | January 7, 2002 (2002-01-07) | 312 |
| 60 | 13 | "To Protect and Serve" | Fred Gerber | Ayanna Floyd & Ashley Gable | January 14, 2002 (2002-01-14) | 313 |
| 61 | 14 | "Arlene's Choice" | Stephan Nathan | Lawrence Kaplow | February 4, 2002 (2002-02-04) | 314 |
| 62 | 15 | "Children of a Lesser Dad" | Oz Scott | Christopher Ambrose | February 25, 2002 (2002-02-25) | 315 |
| 63 | 16 | "Celano v. Foster" | Fred Gerber | Bill Chais & Thomas L. Moran | March 4, 2002 (2002-03-04) | 316 |
| 64 | 17 | "Big Brother" | Julie Warner | Story by : Stuart Wolpert Teleplay by : David Shore & Stephen Nathan | March 18, 2002 (2002-03-18) | 317 |
| 65 | 18 | "Once Removed" | Oz Scott | Pamela Davis | March 25, 2002 (2002-03-25) | 318 |
| 66 | 19 | "Admissions" | Fred Gerber | Lindsay Sturman | April 8, 2002 (2002-04-08) | 319 |
| 67 | 20 | "Ties That Bind" | Max Mayer | Ashley Gable & Jan Nash | April 15, 2002 (2002-04-15) | 320 |
| 68 | 21 | "Alienation of Affection" | Fred Gerber | Stephan Nathan & David Shore | May 27, 2002 (2002-05-27) | 321 |

## Release and syndication

Since fall 2018, the show has been syndicated on the channel Start TV.

## Reception

Ron Wertheimer of the New York Times wrote: "Ms. Quinlan is most appealing, but this series can't survive on her determination alone." Tom Shales of The Washington Post gave it a positive review, "Quinlan is admirable and believable as a woman who won't let setbacks set her back; she's easy to root for."
On Rotten Tomatoes, season one has an approval rating of 10% based on reviews from 10 critics. The site's consensus is "Although Kathleen Quinlan gives a commendable performance, Family Law fizzles out with its bizarre tonal shifts, two-dimensional characterizations, and unbelievable storylines."