Family Law
Marriage and divorce
Know the conditions for marriage (mutual consent, minimum age, absence of impediments such as close kinship or existing marriage), the procedure for registration, and the grounds for declaring a marriage invalid. Understand divorce by administrative route and by court, and the consequences of divorce for property and children.
Property and children
Master the regime of joint property of spouses, the possibility of a marriage contract, and the division of property. Know the rules on filiation, parental rights and duties, custody, maintenance (alimony) obligations, adoption, guardianship, and the protection of children's interests. Understand the role of the guardianship authority.
Traps
Frequent traps: confusing invalidity of marriage with divorce; assuming a marriage contract can regulate personal non-property matters or disadvantage children; and forgetting that child maintenance is determined by law and cannot be waived. Another trap is overlooking that the child's best interests govern custody.
Rule of thumb
When a family question touches a child, apply the best-interests principle first; when it touches property, start from the presumption of joint ownership unless a contract provides otherwise.