이 글에서는 “자녀의 최선의 이익”을 선언한 UN아동권리협약(이하 협약이라 함)이라는 거울에 비추어 민법상 자녀의 복리의 현주소를 파악하면서 몇가지 제안을 하였다. 아동권리협약의 원칙은 ‘자녀의 최선의 이익’을 기본원칙으로 하고 있을 뿐 아니라, 법적구속력을 지닌 국제문서라는 점, 한국은 협약 당사자이므로 협약은 국내법적 효력을 지닌다는 점에서 자녀의 최선의 복리를 논함에 있어 중요한 기준이 되어야 하기 때문이다. 부모의 혼인 중 자녀의 복리가 문제되는 경우로는 부모의 친권상실제도를 중심으로 살펴보고, 이혼(협의이혼과 재판상 이혼절차포함)자녀에 관하여는 친권자결정과 양육자지정 및 양육비를 중심으로 검토하려 한다. 양육비확보방안에 관하여는 이 글 V에서 별도로 구별하여 검토하였다. 가족법에서 자녀의 최선의 이익에 관련된 제도는 매우 방대하기 때문에 이글에서는 부모의 혼인 중과 이혼절차를 통해 자녀의 복리를 검토하는 것으로 하고, 아동에 관한 특별법, 면접교섭권, 인공수정자 및 양자의 복리는 지면상의 이유로 제외하였다. 이상의 논의를 통해서 얻은 결론은 가족법은 2005년 개정을 출발점으로 하여 2007년 법의 개정에 이어 2009년의 부분 개정과 가사소송법의 개정을 통하여 자녀의 복리가 개선되었지만 여전히 협약에서 정한 원칙인 자녀의 최선의 복리 원칙에는 미치지 못한다는 점과 아울러 자녀의 복리를 실현할 수 있는 법의 토대가 상당부분 마련되어 가고 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 개선은 언제나 문제의식에서 출발하기 마련이므로 특히 이혼자녀가 처한 문제를 인식하고 개선이 논의되고 실현되기 시작하였다는 데에 의미를 부여하고 싶다. 입법론이나 의견을 제시한 것은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 친권법의 일반원칙으로서 자녀의 복리 기준을 선언할 것과 친권자결정에서 자녀의 최선의 이익원칙을 규정할 것을 제안하였다. 두 번째, 친권상실선고의 기준으로 자녀의 복리를 규정할 것을 제안하는 한편, 친권상실선고절차에서 사건 본인인 자녀의 의견이 청취될 수 있는 기회를 가사소송법에 규정할 것을 제안하였다. 무엇보다 시급한 것은 부모가 친권상실선고를 받은 후의 자녀 보호조치에 대한 개선이라고 보았다. 이에 따라 법정후견인 제도를 삭제하고 자녀의 복리를 기준으로 후견인을 선임하도록 개정할 필요성과 함께 국가의 2차적인 책임을 강조하였다. 세 번째, 재판상 이혼절차에도 협의이혼절차와 같이 숙려기간, 이혼안내와 상담을 규정하는 한편, 숙려기간 중에 자녀양육과 친권에 관한 협의서를 제출하도록 제안하였다. 네 번째, 단독친권자가 사망한 경우의 친권자 결정에 관한 원칙과 논의를 검토한 후 법무부 개정안을 소개하고 평가하면서 개정사안을 제시하였다. 다섯 번째, 자녀의 복리가 사실상 문제가 되는 경우는 부모가 별거하는 때임을 인식하고 별거제도의 도입을 통해 자녀 양육자와 양육비에 관한 법원의 판단을 받을 수 있는 기회를 부여하자고 제안하였다. 여섯 번째, 특히 자녀양육비확보방안에 관하여는 양육비확보를 위한 민법과 가사소송을 소개하였으며, 양육비선급제도의 도입의 필요성과 함께 김재경 의원안을 간단히 소개하였다.

In this thesis a few suggestions are made about the current status of the welfare of the child in Korean Civil Act in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, henceforth) which announced ‘the best interest of child’. The reason for stating the UNCRC is that not only is ‘the best interest of the child’ the basic principle of the Convention but also the UNCRC is an international convention which Korea, since ratified, is bound to by international law. So the UNCRC should be a critical criterion for discussion on the best interest of the child. Problems of the child's welfare will be discussed about the ‘Loss of Parental Authority’ during the marriage of the parents, and the ‘Determination of the Parental Authority’, ‘Determination of Person of Support’ and the ‘Cost of Support’ for the child of divorced parents (including the divorce by agreement and the judicial divorce). Means for securing the child support is discussed separately in part V. There are vast systems concerning the welfare of the child in the family law so discussions about the special laws on child, visiting right, child conceived by artificial insemination and the welfare of the adopted child are excluded due to the limitation of the paper. The conclusion of the discussion is that although the welfare of the child in the family law has been improved by the amendment of 2005, 2007, 2009 and the amendment of the Family Litigation Act, it is still falling short of the principle of the best interest of the child of the UNCRC, but it is noticeable that the legal basis for recognition of the welfare of the child has been formed. Recognizing the problems and the solution about the welfare of the child of the divorced parents should be noticed as any improvement starts from problem finding consciousness. Some suggestions of this thesis is likewise. First, it is suggested that the criterion for the welfare of the child should be announced as the basic principle of the Parental Authority law and ‘the best interest of the child’ should be clearly stated in the article of the ‘Determination of the Parental Authority’. Second, the welfare of the child should be stipulated as the criterion for the ‘Loss of Parental Authority’, meanwhile the chance for listening of the child's opinion on the ‘Procedure of the Loss of Parental Authority’ should be provided in Family Litigation Act. What is urgent is the improvement of the protection means for the child after the determination of the loss of the parental authority. So the ‘Judicial Guardian’ regulation should be terminated and amended to appoint the guardian by the criterion of the welfare of the child, meanwhile the secondary responsibility of the public authority is emphasized. Third, it is suggested that the implementation of the reflection and consideration period, guidance and counsel for the divorce of the ‘Divorce by Agreement’ should also be applied to the ‘Judicial Divorce’, and the agreement on the child support and parental authority should be filed during the consideration period. Fourth, the principle and the discussion about the determination of the parental authority should be reviewed when a parent with sole parental authority dies, while introducing and evaluating the amendment suggested by the Ministry of the Justice. Fifthly, recognizing that indeed, the problem of child's welfare is serious when the parents are separated, so it is suggested that child's supporter and cost of the support should be decided by the court by introducing the ‘Separation System’. Sixth, especially concerning the means of securing the cost of the child support the Civil Act and Family Litigation Act are introduced, and the need for the system of ‘Advance Payment of the cost of the child support’ and suggested amendment by Kim, Jae-Kyung, a member of the National Assembly are introduced.

In this thesis a few suggestions are made about the current status of the welfare of the child in Korean Civil Act in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, henceforth) which announced ‘the best interest of child’. The reason for stating the UNCRC is that not only is ‘the best interest of the child’ the basic principle of the Convention but also the UNCRC is an international convention which Korea, since ratified, is bound to by international law. So the UNCRC should be a critical criterion for discussion on the best interest of the child. Problems of the child's welfare will be discussed about the ‘Loss of Parental Authority’ during the marriage of the parents, and the ‘Determination of the Parental Authority’, ‘Determination of Person of Support’ and the ‘Cost of Support’ for the child of divorced parents (including the divorce by agreement and the judicial divorce). Means for securing the child support is discussed separately in part V. There are vast systems concerning the welfare of the child in the family law so discussions about the special laws on child, visiting right, child conceived by artificial insemination and the welfare of the adopted child are excluded due to the limitation of the paper. The conclusion of the discussion is that although the welfare of the child in the family law has been improved by the amendment of 2005, 2007, 2009 and the amendment of the Family Litigation Act, it is still falling short of the principle of the best interest of the child of the UNCRC, but it is noticeable that the legal basis for recognition of the welfare of the child has been formed. Recognizing the problems and the solution about the welfare of the child of the divorced parents should be noticed as any improvement starts from problem finding consciousness. Some suggestions of this thesis is likewise. First, it is suggested that the criterion for the welfare of the child should be announced as the basic principle of the Parental Authority law and ‘the best interest of the child’ should be clearly stated in the article of the ‘Determination of the Parental Authority’. Second, the welfare of the child should be stipulated as the criterion for the ‘Loss of Parental Authority’, meanwhile the chance for listening of the child's opinion on the ‘Procedure of the Loss of Parental Authority’ should be provided in Family Litigation Act. What is urgent is the improvement of the protection means for the child after the determination of the loss of the parental authority. So the ‘Judicial Guardian’ regulation should be terminated and amended to appoint the guardian by the criterion of the welfare of the child, meanwhile the secondary responsibility of the public authority is emphasized. Third, it is suggested that the implementation of the reflection and consideration period, guidance and counsel for the divorce of the ‘Divorce by Agreement’ should also be applied to the ‘Judicial Divorce’, and the agreement on the child support and parental authority should be filed during the consideration period. Fourth, the principle and the discussion about the determination of the parental authority should be reviewed when a parent with sole parental authority dies, while introducing and evaluating the amendment suggested by the Ministry of the Justice. Fifthly, recognizing that indeed, the problem of child's welfare is serious when the parents are separated, so it is suggested that child's supporter and cost of the support should be decided by the court by introducing the ‘Separation System’. Sixth, especially concerning the means of securing the cost of the child support the Civil Act and Family Litigation Act are introduced, and the need for the system of ‘Advance Payment of the cost of the child support’ and suggested amendment by Kim, Jae-Kyung, a member of the National Assembly are introduced.

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The Best Interest of the Chid, UNCRC, Loss of Parental Authority, Divorce by Agreement, Divorce by Judgement, Determination of Person of Support, Determination of Parental Authority, Separation System, Death of a Parent who has the Parental Authority, Determination of Person of Support ‘Cost of Support’ Advance Payment System by Government for the cost of Support