1. Ramirez, Joan A. IV- AB Psychology

2.  a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not.  a group of people who are related to each other.

3.  Family law cases include matters such as separation, divorce, custody, child support arrangements, and guardianship. These kinds of issues may be very complex, sensitive, and emotionally difficult for the individuals involved. This can be especially true for parents and children transitioning through a separation or divorce when arrangements for the care of the children need to be decided (Department of Justice, 2010).

4.  Legal separation (sometimes "judicial separation", "separate maintenance", "divorce a mensa et thoro", or "divorce from bed-and- board") is a legal process by which a married couple may formalize a de facto separation while remaining legally married. A legal separation is granted in the form of a court order.

5.  A mensa et thoro is a legal Latin phrase which means "from table and bed“.  Separation a mensa et thoro is essentially a separation that is sanctioned by a court order, meaning that the spouses may legally live apart, but they are still legally married.

6.  There are several reasons why a couple might seek a mensa et thoro separation it is used when one partner is said to be emotionally, verbally, or physically abusive, keeping the marriage in existence while the two spouses are physically separated.

7.  This physical separation may give the two of them a chance to work out the problems in their relationship, while residing in legally sanctioned separate dwellings.

8.  A divorce formally dissolves a legal marriage.  The dissolution of a marriage is a legal act that may not always coincide with a couple's emotional tearing asunder. Divorce is typically a painful process for all concerned.

9. 1. Absolute divorce, known as "divorce a vinculo matrimonii“ -. An absolute divorce is a judicial termination of a legal marriage. An absolute divorce results in the changing back of both parties' statuses to single.

10. 2. Limited Divorce, known as "divorce a mensa et thoro“ -Limited divorces result in termination of the right to cohabitate but the court refrains from officially dissolving the marriage and the parties' statuses remain unchanged.

11.  Child custody and legal guardianship are legal terms which are used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the child to make decisions, and the parent's duty to care for the child.

12. 1. Alternating custody is an arrangement whereby the child/children live for an extended period of time with one parent and an alternate amount of time with the other parent. 2. Shared custody is an arrangement whereby the child/children live for an extended period of time with one parent, and then for a similar amount of time with the other parent.

13. 3. Bird's nest custody is an arrangement whereby the parents go back and forth from a residence in which the child/children reside, placing the burden of upheaval and movement on the parents rather than the child/children. 4. Joint custody is an arrangement whereby both parents have legal custody and/or physical custody.

14. 5. Sole custody is an arrangement whereby only one parent has physical and legal custody of the child/children. 6. Split custody is an arrangement whereby one parent has full-time custody over some children, and the other parent has full custody over the other children.

15. 7. Third-party custody is an arrangement whereby the children do not remain with either biological parent, and are placed under the custody of a third person. 8. Physical custody involves the day-to-day care of a child and establishes where a child will live. A parent with physical custody has the right to have his/her child live with him/her.

16.  If the children live with both parents on a fairly equal basis, then the child support obligation of each parent is determined based on their respective incomes. Whoever has to pay the higher amount pursuant to the Child Support Guidelines will typically pay the difference between the two amounts to the other parent, unless the court is satisfied that the amount should be adjusted in some way to meet the particular needs of the children.

17.  A guardian is a fiduciary and is held to a very high standard of care in exercising his or her powers.  A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Guardians are typically used in three situations: guardianship for an incapacitated senior (due to old age or infirmity), guardianship for a minor, and guardianship for developmentally disabled adults.

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