Legal Definitions - family

A family is a group of people who are related to each other either by blood or through legal means such as marriage, adoption, or fostering. This group may include parents, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Being part of a family comes with special rights and responsibilities. For example, parents have a duty to protect and care for their children. Family members may also have certain rights when it comes to inheritance and property.

Some people who are not related by blood or law may also consider themselves a family. However, they do not have the same legal rights and protections as those who are recognized as a family under the law.

Examples of families include:

• A married couple and their children
• A single parent and their child
• An adopted child and their adoptive parents
• A group of siblings and their parents

These examples illustrate how families can be formed through different means, but they all share a bond of love and support for each other.