The word "family" is officially understood as persons who live together, run a joint household, are related relations of kinship, property. The current family legislation identifies this concept with marriage, marital relations.
The word "family" is often used in various branches of law, and its especially frequent use is found in the Family Code of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the specified act does not contain an official definition of this concept, and the direct interpretation of its individual articles does not allow to unambiguously establish the meaning of this word. Thus, the concept of "family" is used as a synonym for marriage relations, to denote the basic principles of this branch of law, when characterizing the relationship between parents and children (for example, a foster family), in many other situations.
Where can I find the official interpretation?
The only official definition of this concept is given in the Federal Law "On the cost of living in the Russian Federation". According to Article 1 of this document, a family is recognized as persons living together, who are related by relations of kinship, properties, and run a household together. It is in this sense that the word "family" should be used from the point of view of modern family law. The word “family” should not be considered identical to the concept of “marriage”, since marriage relations arise only after state registration, and the above normative definition does not mean that the corresponding registration is mandatory, and does not require any other confirmation.
Who is included in the family?
It should be noted that the above meaning of the word "family" makes it possible to include almost any person in this concept. In particular, family members usually include relatives, and their number is not limited in any way, the required degree of kinship is not indicated. In addition, any other person who is in a relationship of property, that is, does not have family ties, can be considered as family members. In this case, one should talk about the presence of close relations between people, which will be recognized as family relations even in the absence of their official recognition by the state. In fact, it is enough to meet the criteria listed in the above definition to be recognized as a full family. The word "family" is also often used in other branches of modern domestic law, and in each specific case it can be given an independent meaning, which should be identified based on the general meaning of specific rules.
