Legal Definitions - family home

A family home is a house that a family has purchased and lived in, especially before a divorce. In some places, the court may give the family home to the parent who has custody of the children until:

1. The youngest child turns 18 or becomes independent in some other way
2. The custodial parent moves out
3. The custodial parent gets remarried

The court does this because it believes that it is best for the child to stay in the family home. The family home is also called the marital home or marital residence.

For example, if a couple buys a house together and then gets divorced, the court might give the house to the parent who has custody of the children. This way, the children can stay in the same house and neighborhood that they are used to.