As prolific as he is profound, Stephen Cretney has long been regarded as the leading English scholar in the field of family law. From textbooks that provided guidance to generations of students to the crowning achievement of Family Law in the Twentieth Century: A History, Cretney"s writing has always been a model of elegance and erudition. Even had the essays in this book not been written in his honor, they would inevitably have had to rely heavily on his work. Private ordering, marriage, civil partnership, cohabitation, children, separation, divorce - the entire spectrum of family law covered here - have all benefited from his insightful comments and meticulous scholarship. What also became apparent - from the rush of judges and academics who wanted to contribute to this book - is the equally high personal regard in which Stephen Cretney is held by his peers. This festschrift is indeed a labor of love.