The body of formal, government-created laws that relates to the organization, behavior, rights, and responsibilities within a family is called family law. In some countries legal controversies that arise from these issues are dealt with in family courts or social courts. Other countries have courts that specialize in cases concerning children and young people.
Some courts deal primarily in divorce.
China, Facts about Marriage From ancient times marriage has been strictly regulated by both customary law and religious practice. The ancient concept of marriage, one that survives in some places, was that of a legal transaction between families. The basic issues were the economic dependence of women and the ownership of property. A wedding represented the transfer of a woman from the control of and economic dependence upon her family to domination by her husband. There was also a transfer of the woman's property, usually called a dowry, from father to husband.