This volume contains twenty-three contributions delivered at the CEFL’s second international conference which took place in Utrecht in December 2004. The interventions written by both experienced family experts as well as young researchers cover those fields of family law that are closely related to the activities of the CEFL: (1) divorce and maintenance between former spouses, (2) parental responsibilities, (3) informal long-term relationships and (4) the revised Brussels II Regulation. Furthermore, the opening two contributions deal not only with essential aspects of the harmonisation process of family law in Europe but also with the CEFL’s working method.