California Code
Family Code - FAM
DIVISION 8 - CUSTODY OF CHILDREN

PART 1 - DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

CHAPTER 1 - Definitions

Section 3000. - 3000. Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the definitions...

Section 3002. - 3002. “Joint custody” means joint physical custody and joint legal...

Section 3003. - 3003. “Joint legal custody” means that both parents shall share...

Section 3004. - 3004. “Joint physical custody” means that each of the parents...

Section 3006. - 3006. “Sole legal custody” means that one parent shall have...

Section 3007. - 3007. “Sole physical custody” means that a child shall reside...

CHAPTER 2 - General Provisions

Section 3010. - 3010. (a) The mother of an unemancipated minor child and...

Section 3011. - 3011. (a) In making a determination of the best interests...

Section 3012. - 3012. (a) If a party’s deportation or detention by the...

PART 2 - RIGHT TO CUSTODY OF MINOR CHILD

CHAPTER 1 - General Provisions

Section 3020. - 3020. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is...

Section 3021. - 3021. This part applies in any of the following: (a)...

Section 3022. - 3022. The court may, during the pendency of a proceeding...

Section 3022.3. - 3022.3. Upon the trial of a question of fact in...

Section 3022.5. - 3022.5. A motion by a parent for reconsideration of an...

Section 3023. - 3023. (a) If custody of a minor child is the...

Section 3024. - 3024. In making an order for custody, if the court...

Section 3025. - 3025. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, access to records...

Section 3025.5. - 3025.5. (a) In a proceeding involving child custody or visitation...

Section 3026. - 3026. Family reunification services shall not be ordered as a...

Section 3027. - 3027. (a) If allegations of child abuse, including child sexual...

Section 3027.1. - 3027.1. (a) If a court determines, based on the investigation...

Section 3027.5. - 3027.5. (a) A parent shall not be placed on supervised...

Section 3028. - 3028. (a) The court may order financial compensation for periods...

Section 3029. - 3029. An order granting custody to a parent who is...

Section 3030. - 3030. (a) (1) No person shall be granted physical or...

Section 3030.5. - 3030.5. (a) Upon the motion of one or both parents,...

Section 3031. - 3031. (a) Where the court considers the issue of custody...

Section 3032. - 3032. (a) The Judicial Council shall establish a state-funded one-year...

CHAPTER 2 - Matters To Be Considered in Granting Custody

Section 3040. - 3040. (a) Custody should be granted in the following order...

Section 3041. - 3041. (a) Before making an order granting custody to a...

Section 3041.5. - 3041.5. In any custody or visitation proceeding brought under this...

Section 3042. - 3042. (a) If a child is of sufficient age and...

Section 3043. - 3043. In determining the person or persons to whom custody...

Section 3044. - 3044. (a) Upon a finding by the court that a...

Section 3046. - 3046. (a) If a party is absent or relocates from...

Section 3047. - 3047. (a) A party’s absence, relocation, or failure to comply...

Section 3048. - 3048. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, in a proceeding to...

Section 3049. - 3049. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting...

CHAPTER 3 - Temporary Custody Order During Pendency of Proceeding

Section 3060. - 3060. A petition for a temporary custody order, containing the...

Section 3061. - 3061. If the parties have agreed to or reached an...

Section 3062. - 3062. (a) In the absence of an agreement, understanding, or...

Section 3063. - 3063. In conjunction with any ex parte order seeking or...

Section 3064. - 3064. (a) The court shall refrain from making an order...

CHAPTER 4 - Joint Custody

Section 3080. - 3080. There is a presumption, affecting the burden of proof,...

Section 3081. - 3081. On application of either parent, joint custody may be...

Section 3082. - 3082. When a request for joint custody is granted or...

Section 3083. - 3083. In making an order of joint legal custody, the...

Section 3084. - 3084. In making an order of joint physical custody, the...

Section 3085. - 3085. In making an order for custody with respect to...

Section 3086. - 3086. In making an order of joint physical custody or...

Section 3087. - 3087. An order for joint custody may be modified or...

Section 3088. - 3088. An order for the custody of a minor child...

Section 3089. - 3089. In counties having a conciliation court, the court or...

CHAPTER 5 - Visitation Rights

Section 3100. - 3100. (a) In making an order pursuant to Chapter 4...

Section 3101. - 3101. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court...

Section 3102. - 3102. (a) If either parent of an unemancipated minor child...

Section 3103. - 3103. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in a...

Section 3104. - 3104. (a) On petition to the court by a grandparent...

Section 3105. - 3105. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that a parent’s...

CHAPTER 6 - Custody Investigation and Report

Section 3110. - 3110. As used in this chapter, “court-appointed investigator” means a...

Section 3110.5. - 3110.5. (a) A person may be a court-connected or private...

Section 3111. - 3111. (a) In a contested proceeding involving child custody or...

Section 3112. - 3112. (a) Where a court-appointed investigator is directed by the...

Section 3113. - 3113. Where there has been a history of domestic violence...

Section 3114. - 3114. Nothing in this chapter prohibits a court-appointed investigator from...

Section 3115. - 3115. A statement, whether written or oral, or conduct shall...

Section 3116. - 3116. Nothing in this chapter limits the duty of a...

Section 3117. - 3117. The Judicial Council shall, by January 1, 1999, do...

Section 3118. - 3118. (a) In any contested proceeding involving child custody or...

CHAPTER 7 - Action for Exclusive Custody

Section 3120. - 3120. Without filing a petition for dissolution of marriage or...

Section 3121. - 3121. (a) In any proceeding pursuant to Section 3120, and...

CHAPTER 8 - Location of Missing Party or Child

Section 3130. - 3130. If a petition to determine custody of a child...

Section 3131. - 3131. If a custody or visitation order has been entered...

Section 3132. - 3132. In performing the functions described in Sections 3130 and...

Section 3133. - 3133. If the district attorney represents to the court, by...

Section 3134. - 3134. (a) When the district attorney incurs expenses pursuant to...

Section 3134.5. - 3134.5. (a) Upon request of the district attorney, the court...

Section 3135. - 3135. Part 3 (commencing with Section 3400) does not limit...

CHAPTER 9 - Check to Determine Whether Child is Missing Person

Section 3140. - 3140. (a) Subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), before granting...

CHAPTER 10 - Appointment of Counsel to Represent Child

Section 3150. - 3150. (a) If the court determines that it would be...

Section 3151. - 3151. (a) The child’s counsel appointed under this chapter is...

Section 3152. - 3152. (a) The child’s counsel may, upon noticed motion to...

Section 3153. - 3153. (a) If the court appoints counsel under this chapter...

CHAPTER 11 - Mediation of Custody and Visitation Issues

ARTICLE 1 - General Provisions

Section 3160. - 3160. Each superior court shall make a mediator available. The...

Section 3161. - 3161. The purposes of a mediation proceeding are as follows:...

Section 3162. - 3162. (a) Mediation of cases involving custody and visitation concerning...

Section 3163. - 3163. Courts shall develop local rules to respond to requests...

Section 3164. - 3164. (a) The mediator may be a member of the...

Section 3165. - 3165. Any person, regardless of administrative title, hired on or...

ARTICLE 2 - Availability of Mediation

Section 3170. - 3170. (a) If it appears on the face of a...

Section 3171. - 3171. (a) If a stepparent or grandparent has petitioned, or...

Section 3172. - 3172. Mediation shall not be denied to the parties on...

Section 3173. - 3173. (a) Upon an order of the presiding judge of...

ARTICLE 3 - Mediation Proceedings

Section 3175. - 3175. If a matter is set for mediation pursuant to...

Section 3176. - 3176. (a) Notice of mediation and of any hearing to...

Section 3177. - 3177. Mediation proceedings pursuant to this chapter shall be held...

Section 3178. - 3178. An agreement reached by the parties as a result...

Section 3179. - 3179. A custody or visitation agreement reached as a result...

Section 3180. - 3180. (a) In mediation proceedings pursuant to this chapter, the...

Section 3181. - 3181. (a) In a proceeding in which mediation is required...

Section 3182. - 3182. (a) The mediator has authority to exclude counsel from...

Section 3183. - 3183. (a) Except as provided in Section 3188, the mediator...

Section 3184. - 3184. Except as provided in Section 3188, nothing in this...

Section 3185. - 3185. (a) If issues that may be resolved by agreement...

Section 3186. - 3186. (a) An agreement reached by the parties as a...

Section 3188. - 3188. (a)Any court selected by the Judicial Council under subdivision...

CHAPTER 12 - Counseling of Parents and Child

Section 3190. - 3190. (a) The court may require parents or any other...

Section 3191. - 3191. The counseling pursuant to this chapter shall be specifically...

Section 3192. - 3192. In a proceeding in which counseling is ordered pursuant...

CHAPTER 13 - Supervised Visitation and Exchange Services, Education, and Counseling

Section 3200. - 3200. The Judicial Council shall develop standards for supervised visitation...

Section 3200.5. - 3200.5. (a) Any standards for supervised visitation providers adopted by...

Section 3201. - 3201. Any supervised visitation maintained or imposed by the court...

Section 3201.5. - 3201.5. (a) The programs described in this chapter shall be...

Section 3202. - 3202. (a) All supervised visitation and exchange programs funded pursuant...

Section 3203. - 3203. Subject to the availability of federal funding for the...

Section 3204. - 3204. (a) The Judicial Council shall annually submit an application...

PART 3 - UNIFORM CHILD CUSTODY JURISDICTION AND ENFORCEMENT ACT

CHAPTER 1 - General Provisions

Section 3400. - 3400. This part may be cited as the Uniform Child...

Section 3402. - 3402. As used in this part: (a) “Abandoned” means left...

Section 3403. - 3403. This part does not govern an adoption proceeding or...

Section 3404. - 3404. (a) A child custody proceeding that pertains to an...

Section 3405. - 3405. (a) A court of this state shall treat a...

Section 3406. - 3406. A child custody determination made by a court of...

Section 3407. - 3407. If a question of existence or exercise of jurisdiction...

Section 3408. - 3408. (a) Notice required for the exercise of jurisdiction when...

Section 3409. - 3409. (a) A party to a child custody proceeding, including...

Section 3410. - 3410. (a) A court of this state may communicate with...

Section 3411. - 3411. (a) In addition to other procedures available to a...

Section 3412. - 3412. (a) A court of this state may request the...

CHAPTER 2 - Jurisdiction

Section 3421. - 3421. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 3424, a...

Section 3422. - 3422. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 3424, a...

Section 3423. - 3423. Except as otherwise provided in Section 3424, a court...

Section 3424. - 3424. (a) A court of this state has temporary emergency...

Section 3425. - 3425. (a) Before a child custody determination is made under...

Section 3426. - 3426. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 3424, a...

Section 3427. - 3427. (a) A court of this state that has jurisdiction...

Section 3428. - 3428. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 3424 or...

Section 3429. - 3429. (a) In a child custody proceeding, each party, in...

Section 3430. - 3430. (a) In a child custody proceeding in this state,...

CHAPTER 3 - Enforcement

Section 3441. - 3441. In this chapter: (a) “Petitioner” means a person who...

Section 3442. - 3442. Under this chapter, a court of this state may...

Section 3443. - 3443. (a) A court of this state shall recognize and...

Section 3444. - 3444. (a) A court of this state which does not...

Section 3445. - 3445. (a) A child custody determination issued by a court...

Section 3446. - 3446. (a) A court of this state may grant any...

Section 3447. - 3447. If a proceeding for enforcement under this chapter is...

Section 3448. - 3448. (a) A petition under this chapter must be verified....

Section 3449. - 3449. Except as otherwise provided in Section 3451, the petition...

Section 3450. - 3450. (a) Unless the court issues a temporary emergency order...

Section 3451. - 3451. (a) Upon the filing of a petition seeking enforcement...

Section 3452. - 3452. (a) The court shall award the prevailing party, including...

Section 3453. - 3453. A court of this state shall accord full faith...

Section 3453.5. - 3453.5. (a) A law of another state that authorizes a...

Section 3454. - 3454. An appeal may be taken from a final order...

Section 3455. - 3455. (a) In a case arising under this part or...

Section 3456. - 3456. At the request of a district attorney acting under...

Section 3457. - 3457. The court may assess all direct expenses and costs...

CHAPTER 4 - Miscellaneous Provisions

Section 3461. - 3461. In applying and construing this Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction...

Section 3462. - 3462. If any provision of this part or its application...

Section 3465. - 3465. A motion or other request for relief made in...