Loading…
At the North Butte County Courthouse facility (1775 Concord Avenue, Chico), mediation in child custody and visitation cases where the parties have been unable to reach an agreement on a parenting plan, the court ordering the parties to complete the local mediation program before permanent custody orders, the appointment made at the clerk's desk following the court appearance; the Online Mediation Orientation (approximately 30 minutes) and the intake form completed before mediation; all mediation appointments conducted remotely using Zoom, the invitation emailed the Friday prior to the appointment, a current email address given to the Court Clerk; a quiet and private location, sessions of up to 1½ hours, no third parties unless directed by the judge or the counselor, recording prohibited, children not brought unless asked; the Mediation and CCRC Frequently Asked Questions, the Information Form For Custody And/Or Visitation Matters, and the Family Court Services Client Complaint Form; probate court investigations in conservatorship and guardianship cases.
California > Third Appellate District > Butte County > Superior Court of California, County of Butte
Family Court Services Family Court Services, located at the North Butte County Courthouse facility (1775 Concord Avenue, Chico), provides direct services to litigants involved in child custody disputes, guardianship, conservatorship, and step-parent adoptions. Mediator/Child Custody Recommending Counselors work with separating or divorcing parents in an effort to resolve issues related to the custody of their children. Probate Court Investigators conduct investigations related to conservatorship and guardianship cases. Mediation California law states that in all child custody and visitation cases where the parties have been unable to reach an agreement on a parenting plan, the case is required to be sent for mediation. The court orders the parties to participate in and complete the local mediation program prior to a court making permanent custody orders. You may make a mediation appointment at the clerk's desk following your court appearance. Family Court Services and Mediators/Child Custody Recommending Counselors (CCRC) provide services to families who need assistance in arriving at a parenting plan for their children. Please note that Judges, not Mediators, have final say in determining a parent plan. Please do not bring children to any part of this process unless asked to do so by the judge or Mediator/Child Custody Recommending Counselor. Online Mediation Orientation If you are required to attend mediation, you must complete the Online Mediation Orientation. The orientation is approximately 30 minutes long, and will tell you what to expect from the mediation and Child Custody Recommending Custody process. Once you have finished the orientation, you will complete an intake form that is required for your mediator to fairly assess your situation. Start the Orientation! Please fill out the intake form by Clicking on the button below. Intake Form! Introduction to Butte County Superior Court Services handout (PDF) Attending Mediation All mediation appointments are conducted remotely using Zoom. You will be emailed a hyperlink invitation to your scheduled mediation session the Friday prior to your mediation appointment time. To ensure you receive this link, provide the Court Clerk with a current email address. You must be in a quiet and private location where you can participate in the Zoom session without being overheard or interrupted. Mediation sessions can be expected to take up to 1½ hours. If needed, arrange childcare for the duration of the appointment. No third parties can participate in the session with you unless directed by the judge or Child Custody Recommending Counselor. Recording the session is prohibited and not allowed. Mediation and CCRC Frequently Asked Questions Click here for Mediation and CCRC Frequently Asked Questions (PDF). Mediation and CCRC Forms Information Form For Custody And/Or Visitation Matters Family Court Services Client Complaint Form Probate Investigations Probate Court Investigators assist the Court by gathering objective information in conservatorship and guardianship matters. Their role is to interview involved individuals, review available records, and provide the judge with a summary of facts that will help the Court make decisions that protect vulnerable adults and minors. Conservatorship Investigations In conservatorship cases, the Court assigns a Court Investigator to meet with the proposed conservatee and evaluate the suitability of the proposed conservator. The Investigator explains the petition, discusses the conservatee’s rights, and gathers information about the conservatee’s needs, abilities, and preferences. After the conservatorship is established, the Investigator conducts periodic follow up reviews as required by law to help the Court ensure the arrangement continues to meet the conservatee’s needs. Guardianship Investigations In guardianship cases involving a minor, the Court Investigator meets with the proposed guardian and the minor to learn about their living situation, the proposed guardian’s ability to provide care, and the parents’ involvement. The investigation may include interviews and a review of relevant records. The Investigator prepares a report for the Court with information that helps the judge determine whether the proposed guardianship is appropriate and in the best interest of the minor. If guardianship is established, the guardian must file a yearly Confidential Guardianship Status Report, which the Investigator reviews before making a recommendation to the Court on whether the guardianship should continue. Online Resources California Courts Online Self-Help Center Centro De Ayuda Family Court Services Mediation / Child Custody Recommending Counseling Models Families Change - A Guide to Separation and Divorce. Information for Children, Teens & Pre-teens, Parents & Professionals. Domestic Violence Resource - Catalyst Glossary of Legal Terms LawHelpCalifornia.org LawHelpCalifornia.org - Espanol HelpCentral.org - Community Resource Directory for Butte County, CA S.H.A.R.P. (Self Help and Referral Program) & Facilitator hours, locations and phone numbers Family Law Facilitator What is a parenting plan?
Family Court Services Family Court Services, located at the North Butte County Courthouse facility (1775 Concord Avenue, Chico), provides direct services to litigants involved in child custody disputes, guardianship, conservatorship, and step-parent adoptions. Mediator/Child Custody Recommending Counselors work with separating or divorcing parents in an effort to resolve issues related to the cust
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-10 (California T4 Butte build 2026-10-10) from BenchPath custody ca/t4/ca-butte/pages/divisions__family-court-services.html (the page as fetched 2026-10-10; 623628 bytes, sha256 337c76cf3d4f2b4d3bbe277ff4c676f8ca975ba0a0c9fd79383090a685b55565) with the Orange HTML composer (compose-site.py, the Judicial Council theme's area): the article's content sections (section.jcc-section), news bodies (div.jcc-news-full) and title banners (div.jcc-hero; the first banner's heading, the page title, is chrome) - the site header, menus, breadcrumb and footer lie outside them; each block starts a line and each table cell is set on its own line; chrome removed: 1 item; proof (the multiset of non-space characters equals the containers' text less chrome and scripts) passes. Review note: Rules 9.4(E) and 9.13 (carded) state the mediation by Zoom and the mediation orientation; the page adds the invitation emailed the Friday before the appointment, the intake form and the session's conditions.
1 verbatim mandatory provision from 13-16-s.
2 verbatim mandatory provisions from 15-41-s.
43 verbatim mandatory provisions from 07-33-s.