Advantages and limitations of the use of structurally similar compounds in racemate resolution via diastereoisomeric salt formation are discussed in this review. An effective conception on "derivative resolving agents" (use of the optically active derivatives of a racemate as resolving agents) is presented by examples and the method is extended to the homologous series of the derivative resolving agents and/or achiral additives. A recently developed distillation version of the family approach to optical resolution and the novel, solvent-free resolution methods using a half equivalent amount of resolving agent are also discussed.