A family court is a court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a superior court. The Family courts were first established in the United States in 1910, when they were called domestic relations courts although the idea itself is much older.

Family courts hear all cases that relate to familial and domestic relationships. Although each state has a different system utilized to address family law cases, each state strives to provide families with the best possible outcome in family law cases. Family courts can also issue decisions regarding divorce cases.

In the United States

In the United States family court falls under the heading of Trial Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. These types of courts deal only with a specific type of case and they are usually presided over by a single judge without a jury. In the United States a family often will use mediation (family mediation) instead of a family court. This allows families to find solutions that suit their specific needs, rather than being forced to adhere to the ruling of a judge. The idea of using family court is to put the child first and help parents resolve disputes. M.A.R.C.H stands for Mediation Achieving Results for Children and was established in Missouri in 1997. M.A.R.C.H is proven to be an effective alternative dispute resolution process and is now used in 45 of the state's judicial circuits; it is the less costly alternative, both emotionally and financially. According to statistics, 75 percent of families who participate in mediation reach an agreement, and 92 percent of those that do reach the agreement are satisfied with the mediation process. The American Bar Association sites nearly 10,000 members in The Section of Family Law.

Family court may refer to:

See also

Family Court with Judge Penny is an American arbitration-based reality court show, presided over by former judge and lawyer Penny Brown Reynolds. The half-hour program, which aired in first-run syndication, premiered on September 8, 2008. It was produced by 44 Blue Productions and distributed by Program Partners in the United States and Canada and being shown on Pick TV formerly Sky 3 in the United Kingdom. Sony handled barter advertising. The show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2009, but was never renewed and ended production that same year.

The show was in its first taping on YouTube when the 5.4 Los Angeles Earthquake hit on July 29, 2008. Everyone remained calm and everyone including Judge Penny took cover under the nearest furniture. No injuries occurred. In interviews with Showbiz Tonight and Access Hollywood the following day Reynolds says that this was the first time that she experienced an earthquake, then joked about it by saying she was ready to "Shake up" courtroom TV shows.