This book investigates how the evolution of civil law regarding marriage, property, and inheritance in late Imperial Russia reflected broader ideological conflicts and social transformations. William G. Wagner, a scholar of Russian history, utilizes extensive archival research and legal documentation to analyze how professional classes attempted to reshape the legal framework of the family. He argues that these reforms were not merely technical adjustments but were central to the struggle between emerging professional groups, the state administration, and the Orthodox Church over the definition of authority and individuality. By examining these legal shifts, the author demonstrates how law served as a primary instrument for competing visions of Russian society.

Historians and legal scholars recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of law and social change in the Russian Empire. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous nature of the research provided by the author.