California Family Court Finder

    CA 
    CHILD CUSTODY:
    Parenting Plans
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    Family Court
  
California Family Court Finder
  
Los Angeles, California 90001
California Counties

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For detailed information about the family court procedures in your county, including relevant forms, fees, and contact information, please enter your ZIP code. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the family court in your area.
California Family Courts
         
                       Los Angeles County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Los Angeles)  FIPS: 06037                     - pop.10,014,009                   
                                
                       San Diego County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Diego)  FIPS: 06073                     - pop.3,298,634                   
                                
                       Orange County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Santa Ana)  FIPS: 06059                     - pop.3,186,989                   
                                
                       Riverside County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Riverside)  FIPS: 06065                     - pop.2,418,185                   
                                
                       San Bernardino County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Bernardino)  FIPS: 06071                     - pop.2,181,654                   
                                
                       Santa Clara County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Jose)  FIPS: 06085                     - pop.1,936,259                   
                                
                       Alameda County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Oakland)  FIPS: 06001                     - pop.1,682,353                   
                                
                       Sacramento County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Sacramento)  FIPS: 06067                     - pop.1,585,055                   
                                
                       Contra Costa County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Martinez)  FIPS: 06013                     - pop.1,165,927                   
                                
                       Fresno County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Fresno)  FIPS: 06019                     - pop.1,008,654                   
                                
                       Kern County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Bakersfield)  FIPS: 06029                     - pop.909,235                   
                                
                       San Francisco County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Francisco)  FIPS: 06075                     - pop.873,965                   
                                
                       Ventura County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Ventura)  FIPS: 06111                     - pop.843,843                   
                                
                       San Joaquin County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Stockton)  FIPS: 06077                     - pop.779,233                   
                                
                       San Mateo County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Redwood City)  FIPS: 06081                     - pop.764,442                   
                                
                       Stanislaus County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Modesto)  FIPS: 06099                     - pop.552,878                   
                                
                       Sonoma County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Santa Rosa)  FIPS: 06097                     - pop.488,863                   
                                
                       Tulare County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Visalia)  FIPS: 06107                     - pop.473,117                   
                                
                       Solano County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Fairfield)  FIPS: 06095                     - pop.453,491                   
                                
                       Santa Barbara County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Santa Barbara)  FIPS: 06083                     - pop.448,229                   
                                
                       Monterey County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Salinas)  FIPS: 06053                     - pop.439,035                   
                                
                       Placer County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Auburn)  FIPS: 06061                     - pop.404,739                   
                                
                       San Luis Obispo County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Luis Obispo)  FIPS: 06079                     - pop.282,424                   
                                
                       Merced County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Merced)  FIPS: 06047                     - pop.281,202                   
                                
                       Santa Cruz County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Santa Cruz)  FIPS: 06087                     - pop.270,861                   
                                
                       Marin County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Rafael)  FIPS: 06041                     - pop.262,321                   
                                
                       Yolo County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Woodland)  FIPS: 06113                     - pop.216,403                   
                                
                       Butte County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Oroville)  FIPS: 06007                     - pop.211,632                   
                                
                       El Dorado County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Placerville)  FIPS: 06017                     - pop.191,185                   
                                
                       Shasta County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Redding)  FIPS: 06089                     - pop.182,155                   
                                
                       Imperial County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (El Centro)  FIPS: 06025                     - pop.179,702                   
                                
                       Madera County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Madera)  FIPS: 06039                     - pop.156,255                   
                                
                       Kings County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Hanford)  FIPS: 06031                     - pop.152,486                   
                                
                       Napa County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Napa)  FIPS: 06055                     - pop.138,019                   
                                
                       Humboldt County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Eureka)  FIPS: 06023                     - pop.136,463                   
                                
                       Nevada County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Nevada City)  FIPS: 06057                     - pop.102,241                   
                                
                       Sutter County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Yuba City)  FIPS: 06101                     - pop.99,633                   
                                
                       Mendocino County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Ukiah)  FIPS: 06045                     - pop.91,601                   
                                
                       Yuba County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Marysville)  FIPS: 06115                     - pop.81,575                   
                                
                       Lake County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Lakeport)  FIPS: 06033                     - pop.68,163                   
                                
                       Tehama County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Red Bluff)  FIPS: 06103                     - pop.65,829                   
                                
                       San Benito County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Hollister)  FIPS: 06069                     - pop.64,209                   
                                
                       Tuolumne County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Sonora)  FIPS: 06109                     - pop.55,620                   
                                
                       Calaveras County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (San Andreas)  FIPS: 06009                     - pop.45,292                   
                                
                       Siskiyou County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Yreka)  FIPS: 06093                     - pop.44,076                   
                                
                       Amador County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Jackson)  FIPS: 06005                     - pop.40,474                   
                                
                       Lassen County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Susanville)  FIPS: 06035                     - pop.32,730                   
                                
                       Glenn County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Willows)  FIPS: 06021                     - pop.28,917                   
                                
                       Del Norte County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Crescent City)  FIPS: 06015                     - pop.27,743                   
                                
                       Colusa County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Colusa)  FIPS: 06011                     - pop.21,839                   
                                
                       Plumas County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Quincy)  FIPS: 06063                     - pop.19,790                   
                                
                       Inyo County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Independence)  FIPS: 06027                     - pop.19,016                   
                                
                       Mariposa County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Mariposa)  FIPS: 06043                     - pop.17,131                   
                                
                       Trinity County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Weaverville)  FIPS: 06105                     - pop.16,112                   
                                
                       Mono County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Bridgeport)  FIPS: 06051                     - pop.13,195                   
                                
                       Modoc County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Alturas)  FIPS: 06049                     - pop.8,700                   
                                
                       Sierra County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Downieville)  FIPS: 06091                     - pop.3,236                   
                                
                       Alpine County Family Court
                   
                   County Seat: (Markleeville)  FIPS: 06003                     - pop.1,204                   
                            
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Get Help Finding a California Child Custody Lawyer
Get Help Finding a California Child Custody Lawyer
If you want to find a good child custody lawyer, consider starting with these sources:
- Family and friends. Ask people you know and trust whether they have hired a family lawyer in the past -- or if they know someone else who has. If you hear a name once, that could be a starting point. If you hear the same name many times, put that person on your list of lawyers to call.
- Other lawyers. If you know and respect a lawyer who works in another of the law -- for example a business or estate planning lawyer -- ask if they know a good family law attorney (or whether they’re willing to ask around on your behalf).
- Counselors or therapists. If you’re seeing a counselor or therapist -- especially a marriage counselor -- ask for lawyer recommendations.
- Professional associations. If you don't get any good personal referrals, turn to professional associations for family lawyers. Many good family lawyers belong to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). You can also contact the State Bar of California for family lawyer referrals.
More Information for California Residents

To learn more, including:
- how to find free or low-cost legal assistance, and
- interview questions to ask a professional before you turn over your case
See How to Find a Child Custody Lawyer in California.

Consult With a California Child Custody Attorney

Serving Los Angeles, California.

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What Is Physical vs. Legal Custody of a Child?

What Is Physical vs. Legal Custody of a Child?

Every child custody decision has two essential parts:

Physical custody determines where the children will live.

Legal custody refers to the right to make other important decisions for the children—for example, religious upbringing, medical care, and choices about education.

For more details about the different types of child custody and how they fit together, see How Does Child Custody Work in California?

Consult With a California Child Custody Attorney

Serving Los Angeles, California.

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What Is Joint vs. Sole Custody of a Child?

What Is Joint vs. Sole Custody of a Child?

While the terms physical custody and legal custody refer to types of decisions affecting your children, “joint custody” and “sole custody” refer to who makes those choices on behalf of the kids.

Joint custody refers to a situation where both parents make decisions.

Sole custody means that just one parent has control.

Note that these two types of custody can be blended, and that joint custody doesn’t necessarily mean a 50/50 split.

For example, parents could be granted joint legal custody—giving them both a say in important decisions about their child’s education, religious training, medical treatment, and the like—while one parent gets sole physical custody, meaning that the child will live with him or her and most likely visit the other.

For more details about the different types of child custody and how they fit together, see How Does Child Custody Work in California?
What Is Split Custody?

What Is Split Custody?

Split custody means that each parent takes primary custody of different kids—think of the film “The Parent Trap,” where the parents separate the twin sisters as babies, raising one in California and one in Boston. Such arrangements are unlikely to lead to Hollywood endings and are usually disfavored, but there are rare situations in which split custody may make sense. For example, if the siblings aren’t close or if a particular child-parent relationship is unusually strained, an unconventional arrangement might be appropriate.

Before you ask for split custody, it’s wise to consult a counselor or custody evaluator—a therapist that specializes in softening the blow of divorce on children by evaluating the family situation and making recommendations. Your lawyer or your local court should be able to help you find a qualified custody evaluator in your area.
About This Website
About This Website
Here at Legal Consumer, we've been busy building websites to get people the legal answers and information they need. Our goal is to guide you to reliable, local information about your options.

We'll be adding new topics over time, but you can currently use our websites to find comprehensive information on:
- Child Custody (this website)
- Bankruptcy
- Unemployment Law
- Minimum Wage & Overtime Law
- Student Loans
- Obamacare (Health Insurance)
- Inheritance Law
On this website, when you choose your state or enter your zip code, you will quickly learn:
- how child custody works in your state
- how to find and use your local family law court
- how judges make custody decisions
- how to find a good child custody lawyer
- how to get help creating parenting plan
- how to enfoce a child custody or visitation order in your state
- and more.
We know that it's stressful to face difficult issues involving your family and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to find the answers you need.

Who We Are

Legal Consumer

Legal Consumer is a company that believes you should have access to quality information about the legal issues affecting your life. Whether you’re facing financial difficulties, family challenges, health concerns, or trouble at your job, we want to help you get the resources you need. Our websites are written by lawyers and designed to give you accurate, relevant information for your location.

Albin Renauer, Owner and Founder

Albin Renauer is an independent web and database developer and Webby Award judge. He first created LegalConsumer.com as an online companion to his book, How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, to help people file for bankruptcy.

After receiving his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1985, Albin worked for various public-interest law firms in the Bay Area and as a staff attorney for Chief Justice Rose Bird of the California Supreme Court. He spent 17 years as an editor at leading do-it-yourself legal publisher Nolo, where he helped create numerous books and software programs, including the bestselling Quicken WillMaker. He also edited Law on the Net, the first online directory of legal resources, and was the architect of Nolo's Webby Award winning website.

Shae Irving, Writer and Editor

Shae Irving has been a legal editor and writer since 1994, when she joined the editorial staff at Nolo, specializing in estate planning, health care, and family law issues. For almost a decade, she was the managing editor of Nolo’s bestselling Quicken WillMaker software. Her books include Living Wills and Powers of Attorney for California and Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair and Lasting Contract. Shae graduated from Berkeley Law and briefly practiced at a large San Francisco law firm before becoming an editor and author. She began working with Legal Consumer in 2013.