GPR 322

Family Law and Succession

Class exercise: Defining family

Scenario 1:

You are the Human Resource Director of a start-up company. The company is
setting up a health insurance cover for its employees. The company would like the
policy to cover the employee plus his/her family. Advise the company’s board on
whom to include in the definition of ‘family’.

The company would also like to extend some bereavement benefits to support
employees over the death of family members. Advise the company on whom to
include in defining ‘family members’.

Scenario 2:

You are in the process of building a house on your ¼ acre plot in an upcoming
neighbourhood of Kitengela. You and your new neighbours would like to set some
rules to control development and ensure a quiet suburban life. Knowing you are a
lawyer, they have entrusted you with the task of coming up with the first draft of the
rules for the Residents’ Association. One of the critical rules seeks to restrict
construction on each plot to a ‘single family dwelling’. How will you define ‘family’ for
purposes of that rule? Is ‘family’ a relevant consideration in this scenario?

Scenario 3:

You are the Chief of Operations at the Forest Hill Medical Center, a facility that
specialises in the care of terminally ill patients. The facility is revising its policy on
visitors and on consent to treatment and interventions. What category of persons will
you consider- for visits and for consent?

Scenario 4:

You are a County Director with the Children’s Department. Your duties include
overseeing the foster care system. The government’s policy direction has moved
toward giving preference to placement of children with persons who have a family
connection to the child. You would like to give more specific guidance to your officers
on what counts as ‘a family connection’ to the child. What relationships will you place
on the list to guide them, and in what order of priority?