Der Familienbegriff im deutschen Ausländerrecht

This work examines how to determine whether a particular family status fulfils the legal requirements for family reunification in Germany, and thereby addresses the field at which public and private law overlap. With reference to three case study groups, the author examines whether and how European guidelines on family reunification and freedom of movement affect the determination of the legal status of family relations. She also clarifies the relevance of official public records in the process of family reunification. Subsequently, she uses various examples in order to highlight the interdependence between the German law on foreigners and private law. If the legal validity of a family relationship and the right to freedom of movement have been proved in accordance with international private law in another EU Member State, she proposes forgoing a (further) examination of the case according to international private law in Germany.