The EU Family Law Handbook is a unique, practitioner-focused resource, that offers a clear and structured explanation of the legal terminology and key concepts used in EU family law instruments. It is designed to support legal professionals dealing with cross-border family cases within the EU.

Part 1 focuses on:

• Key legal concepts used in EU family law instruments

• Autonomous terminology and its interpretation by the CJEU

• Cross-instrument analysis (Brussels IIb, Rome III, the Maintenance Regulation, Hague Conventions)

• Practical tools including flowcharts, tables, CJEU excerpts, and QR links to primary sources

Written in clear, accessible English, the handbook is ideal for lawyers, judges, court staff, legal translators, and anyone dealing with international family law in a multilingual EU context. Unlike traditional commentaries, this handbook is not article-by-article, but concept-by-concept, offering a more intuitive and applied approach for daily practice, training, or decision-making.

Why this handbook?

The handbook began from something simple: a need to explain a word. Not just its dictionary meaning, but how it travels across borders, regulations, and decisions. What happens to a legal concept when it’s lifted from one national context and placed into another, spelled in English, and interpreted under EU law? Working in the field of cross-border family law, I’ve often found that legal uncertainty is not only procedural — it is linguistic. And yet, tools that help us work through this uncertainty are still scarce.

Created outside formal funding or commissions, this handbook is offered freely as a small contribution to our shared efforts in improving cross-border family justice. It reflects the everyday needs of those who apply EU family law in practice—judges, lawyers, court staff, and legal educators alike.

This handbook is primarily issued in digital (PDF) form. The PDF edition is meant to be periodically updated to reflect clarifications and developments, and should be regarded as the most up-to-date version. The limited print run represents an initial snapshot at the time of publication.

What’s next?

Part 2 – "Litigating Child Abduction Cases in the EU", a  practical guide to return proceedings under the 1980 Hague Convention and Brussels IIb Regulation, including model arguments and defences, procedural checklists, and analysis of CJEU and national case law, is currently in development.

Clarification Notice (for downloads until 17 September 2025, updated file uploaded)

In Table 37, last row (print edition– page 232, digital version– page 231), the entry “Requires declaration of enforceability (exequatur)” should read: “Does not require declaration of enforceability (exequatur), automatic as ordinary PR decision".

On p. 254: “…determined by the national law of the seised court …” should read: “…is an autonomous concept, not determined by national law …”, and on p. 255: “…determined by the national law of the court seised …”should read: “…is an autonomous concept …”

Available also at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5368842

Handbook-Based Training for Judges, Lawyers & Court Staff

Customised training sessions based on the content of the handbook are offered for legal professionals, court staff, and translators who work with EU family law in cross-border cases. The training can be delivered in person or online, and is tailored to the participants’ experience level and needs.