The document explores the legal status of the homemaker and the law in the District of Columbia, emphasizing those laws and judicial precedents that fail to give proper recognition to the value of the homemaker. The rights given to the homemaker under support, property, divorce, and inheritance laws are said to be the concrete measure of the homemaker's value to society. The booklet is arranged into three broad sections focusing on how the laws affect homemakers during marriage, widowhood, and divorce. The first section on marriage summarizes laws pertaining to the support of a wife, choice of domicile, a wife's disability and physical abuse, and credit laws. The second section on divorce and separation discusses property division, alimony, child custody, support, modification of divorce decree, enforcement, and government assistance in support collection. The last section on widowhood considers the situations in which the husband has died with or without leaving a will, considers the widow's property rights pension and social security funds, and estate tax laws. The document concludes with legislative recommendations and references. (Author/BC)