Based on national reports by family law experts from more than 20 European jurisdictions, The Principles of European Family Law Revisited provides an insight into recent developments in family law in Europe in the areas of divorce, maintenance between former spouses, parental responsibilities, property relations between spouses and de facto unions. This book presents a comparative analysis between these developments and the five sets of Principles that the Commission of European Family Law has established in these areas over the last 20 years.

The Principles of European Family Law Revisited contains a wealth of information for comparative family lawyers in academia or practice, with the comparative charts in particular providing a useful reference for comparative research. Additionally, in a move that marks a historical first in legal publishing, this book reproduces all the CEFL Principles in one collective volume.


About the Authors

Katharina Boele-Woelki, Emerita Professor of Comparative Law and former President of Bucerius Law School Hamburg (2015–2023), former President of the International Academy of Comparative Law (2014–2022) and Chair of the Commission on European Family Law.

Frédérique Ferrand, Professor at University Jean Moulin Lyon 3, honorary Professor at University of Augsburg, Director of the Institute of Comparative Law Edouard Lambert (IDCEL) and a founding member of the Organising Committee of the Commission of European Family Law.

Christina González Beilfuss, Professor of Private International Law at the University of Barcelona and a member of the Organising Committee of the Commission on European Family Law.

Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg, Emerita Professor of Private International Law and International Civil Procedure, former Dean of the Faculty of Law at Uppsala University and former President of the Board of Bank of Sweden Foundation (RJ) for the Advancement of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Nigel Lowe KC (Hon), Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University and a founding member of the Organising Committee of the Commission of European Family Law.

Dieter Martiny, Professor Emeritus European at the University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), affiliate Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg, and a founding member of the Organising Committee of the Commission on European Family Law.

Velina Todorova, Associate Professor at the Plovdiv University, Bulgaria, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and member of the Organising Committee of the Commission on European Family Law.