family court

noun

Examples of family court in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The case originated in 2024, two years after a family court judge in San Diego dissolved the domestic partnership of Joan Torres Campos and Munoz. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 The case has its roots in a family court case in Waukesha in which a judge granted custody and placement to Ricardo Valadez in 2020, despite his history of domestic abuse. Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026 One of the blog’s repeated and by all accounts preposterous anti-semitic rants was Boyne’s claim that the state’s family courts were controlled by a cabal of judges, lawyers and mental health professionals who were profiting by their decisions. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026 But when the day began, the measure also would have directed family court judges to take into account a parent’s acceptance of a child’s gender identity when determining parenting time. The Denver Post, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for family court

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of family court was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Family court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family%20court. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Legal Definition

family court

noun
: a court that has jurisdiction and often advisory powers over domestic disputes involving the rights and duties of husband, wife, parent, or child especially in matters affecting the support, custody, and welfare of children compare juvenile court

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