FAMILY LAW: THE ESSENTIALS, Third Edition, provides a concise, accurate introduction to key legal concepts and practical paralegal skills, along with excerpts from real-world cases, forms and checklists students can apply on the job, and tips and techniques for professional success. The Third Edition includes new and updated material on current trends and topics in this dynamic field, including legal ethics, technology, domestic violence, fertility and reproductive science, stem cell research, adoption, domestic partnerships, same-sex marriage, and changing definitions of family. Supported by a full range of available teaching and learning supplements, this trusted text is ideal as a core resource for family law courses, a useful complement to general legal study, or a reliable reference for practicing paralegals.