This course has been designed to foster a grounded and well-informed understanding of ethical and legal issues as they relate to the mental health professionals in general and MFT professionals in particular. In the course students will become aware of familial relationships, and defining of legal consequences to those relationships and their dissolution, and the transition of individuals into new family formations. Marriage and its legal effects, divorce, the law of the parent-child relationship, including post-separation parenting and child support, and the recognition of non-marital relationships. Other legal matters such as family law include domestic violence, adoption, and child protection, child abuse reporting is included.

Commonly experienced ethical and legal matters within the practice of MFT will be examined through discussion, assigned readings, written work and practical exercises.