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Chapter 7, Part 1, Rules 710 to 719: Rule 710 repealed (710); attorney fees and costs awarded only on an Income and Expense Declaration with Item 15 fully and accurately completed, a separate declaration signed by the attorney describing services, time, hourly rate and anticipated fees for requests in excess of $2,500.00, and no Family Code section 271 fees without compliance with Local Rule 712 (711); counsel meeting and conferring in good faith before a contested hearing, except under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act or on the Kings County Department of Child Support Services calendar, documentary evidence exchanged at or before the meet and confer session and not used to surprise, an absent client on telephone standby, and failure bearing on attorney fees or a continuance (712); settlements resulting in stipulations with precedence on the calendar over contested matters (713); the matter removed from the calendar if the moving party is not present at the calendar call, with fees to an appearing responding party, and the matter continued, fees awarded or an order entered on the moving party's pleadings and testimony if the responding party fails to appear (714); findings and decisions in a Family Law Minute Order prepared, filed and served by the clerk, each party keeping the court informed of a current mailing address, Orders After Hearing prepared within the timing requirements of rule 5.125, with sanctions for failure, and orders signed only if text of the order appears on the signature page (715); temporary spousal support under the Kings County Superior Court Guidelines calculated by a certified software program (716); an Income and Expense Declaration on form FL-150 filed and served when child support, spousal support, attorney fees or payment of obligations is at issue, a current one or a declaration of no change when it is more than ninety (90) days old, with pay stubs for two (2) months or a year-to-date stub and W2 forms, or a profit and loss statement or Schedule C for two (2) years, and sanctions under Local Rules 103 and 700 for failure (717); parties referred to Family Court Services for immediate or formal Child Custody Recommending Counseling, a telephonic session for a parent residing more than 100 miles from Kings County, separate sessions where domestic violence is alleged, documents filed no less than five (5) days before and served, a missed appointment fee or sanctions for failing to cancel at least 24 hours before, no weapons, the counseling report filed no later than five (5) court days before the hearing and deemed admitted into evidence, confidential proceedings, children present only if ordered or requested, an orientation of thirty (30) minutes on the court's website and an intake form completed prior to participating, and no service of documents at Family Court Services (718); and custody evaluations under rule 5.220 only when the court determines them necessary, by a qualified professional from three nominated by the parties without a stipulation, no ex parte contact with the evaluator, the court stating the report's due date and allocating fees and costs, the confidential report filed with form FL-328 as its first page at least ten (10) days before the hearing, not discussed with the child or put to use outside the custody proceeding, and a Family Code section 3110 investigation only on a judicial officer's written order (719)
RULE 710 – Applications for Family Law Court Orders (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 720; amended and renumbered 7/1/08; repealed 1/1/12) RULE 711 – Attorney Fees A. Except as provided in Kings County Local Rules 103 and 700, or as otherwise allowed by statute, attorney fees and costs will not be awarded unless an Income and Expense Declaration is filed by the requesting party, with Item 15 fully and accurate
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-15 (California T4 Kings build 2026-10-15) from BenchPath custody ca/t4/ca-kings/docs/local-rules/kingscountylocalrules_07-01-26.pdf (the court's rule book, its cover “SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF KINGS Local Rules of Court (July 1, 2026)”, as fetched 2026-10-15; 1404126 bytes, sha256 5afc44ac2f5fa421cca2659bfcef2f97cc69851872a6b71f3834afa29c1bc7e3; 136 pages; this part PDF pages 92 to 99, page numbers 85 to 92) with the shared verbatim composer (v2 reflow): the rules and the appendix (PDF pages 8 to 112) composed as one text and cut at the chapter headings, and within Chapters 1, 3, 5 and 7 at a part or rule heading (“RULE 126 – Submission of Documents for Filing”, “RULE 310 – Joining Motions of Other Parties”, “Part 2 – Rules Applicable to Felony Cases and Misdemeanor Cases Joined or Consolidated with a Felony for Trial”, “RULE 710 – Applications for Family Law Court Orders”, “RULE 720 – Custody Orders and Agreements”, “RULE 732 – Experts Pursuant to California Evidence Code § 730”, “Part 2 – Child Support and the Kings County Department of Child Support Services”, “APPENDIX A”), each matched once as a whole line; the three rules whose instructions print example case numbers - Rule 125 (E-Filing Rules), Rule 309 (Legal Research Copy) and Rule 731 (Judicial Notice in Family Law Matters - Department 4) - cut out as parts of their own and held from publication (a case number's form, even an example's, is never published); every page's running head (“KINGS COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT – LOCAL RULES”, named) and footer lines (the chapter's name, “Appendix A” and “Page 1” to “Page 105”, named) removed as chrome - 314 chrome lines; lines reflowed into the rules' paragraphs, each rule number and lettered or numbered subdivision starting a line; the strike report (review/strike-report-2026-10-15.txt) finds one blank struck run in the book, on PDF page 115 (the Index by Number, outside the rules); 3 whitespace-only fixes (build/book-fixes.json: Rule 102's definition of “CASA” split from the definition before it; Rule 604's “within Rule 5.546 of the California Rules of Court” rejoined to its sentence; the Juvenile Court Rules' CASA contact's two lines split); the vertical-gap, short-line, page-break, false-break and structural-break audits (review/book-gap-audit-2026-10-15.txt, review/book-short-lines-2026-10-15.txt, review/book-extra-audits-2026-10-15.txt) list candidates read one by one (build/book_fixes.py) - the rest kept as printed; proof 1 (whitespace-only) and proof 2 (same character multiset as the text layer minus chrome) pass. The cover (PDF page 1), the table of contents (2 to 7), the Index by Number (113 to 119), the Subject Matter Index (120 to 126) and the List of Effective Dates (127 to 136) belong to no card.
Division XI: information forms for data processing (Rule 11.2); required action - action taken on all calendared cases and a future date always set (Rule 11.19); and pro tem judges - an attorney named as a plaintiff in a civil or small claims case may not sit as a judge pro-tem during the case or within six months following its resolution, nor one named as a defendant in two or more such cases (Rule 11.22). Rules 11.1, 11.3 to 11.5, 11.7 to 11.18, 11.20 and 11.21 are repealed, and Rule 11.6 (voluntary arbitration; see Local Rule 10.2) was repealed and renumbered.
California > Fifth Appellate District > Kings County > Superior Court of California, County of Kings
RULE 710 – Applications for Family Law Court Orders (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 720; amended and renumbered 7/1/08; repealed 1/1/12) RULE 711 – Attorney Fees A. Except as provided in Kings County Local Rules 103 and 700, or as otherwise allowed by statute, attorney fees and costs will not be awarded unless an Income and Expense Declaration is filed by the requesting party, with Item 15 fully and accurately completed. B. If attorney fees and/or costs of litigation (including fees for experts) are requested in a combined amount in excess of $2,500.00, the request must be supported by a separate declaration signed by the attorney, describing services performed, time expended, hourly rate, and all reasonably anticipated fees and/or costs. In the absence of such declaration, no award in excess of $2,500.00 for fees and costs will be granted. C. Without compliance with the Superior Court of Kings County, Local Rule 712, no attorney fees under Family Code section 271 will be awarded at any hearing. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 702; amended and renumbered 7/1/08) RULE 712 – Meet and Confer Requirement/Settlement Efforts A. Except for proceedings under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act and the Kings County Department of Child Support Services calendar, counsel must meet and confer prior to the beginning of a contested hearing to resolve or limit the disputed issues. Failure to conduct such settlement discussions in good faith may have a bearing on attorney fees to be awarded and may result in a court ordered continuance. B. Except for proceedings under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, all parties are required to provide copies of documentary evidence to opposing parties and not wait until the time of the hearing to “surprise” the opposing party with proffered documentary evidence except where a document clearly and substantially impeaches the veracity of a party or witness, and the document is used primarily for that purpose. This document exchange must occur prior to or at the meet and confer session. C. Except for proceedings under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, no case on the family law calendar will be heard unless counsel, with their respective clients either physically present or immediately physically available, have met and conferred in good faith and attempted to resolve all disputed issues. D. When counsel cannot reasonably or economically meet prior to the hearing date due to geographical distances, counsel may meet on the day of the hearing prior to the call of the calendar, or in the discretion of the court, after the calendar is called but prior to the matter being heard. E. When counsel is appearing at a mandatory settlement conference on behalf of clients who cannot be present at the hearing, counsel must arrange for the absent client to be on telephone standby. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 722; amended and renumbered 7/1/08; amended 7/1/20) RULE 713 – Stipulations in Open Court The settlement of matters resulting in stipulations is favored and will take precedence on the calendar over contested matters. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 723; amended and renumbered 7/1/08) RULE 714 – Failure to Appear/Tardiness A. Failure of the moving party or attorney to be present at the calendar call, or failure to have informed the bailiff or clerk of his or her location, may result in the matter being removed from the calendar. If the responding party has appeared, attorney fees and costs may be awarded to the appearing party. B. In the event the responding party or attorney fails to appear or to have informed the bailiff or clerk of his or her location, the court may continue the matter, award attorney fees, or enter an order on the pleadings and/or testimony of the moving party. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 724; renumbered 7/1/08) RULE 715 – Preparation of Order After Hearing A. Unless otherwise ordered, the findings and decisions of the court in connection with any hearing shall be set forth in a minute order to be prepared, filed, and served by the clerk (“Family Law Minute Order”). The clerk will serve a copy of the filed Family Law Minute Order upon all parties. No further notice of the court’s decisions and findings after hearing will be given. It is the responsibility of each party and/or counsel to keep the court informed as to their current mailing address. B. In any matter where the court directs a party to prepare a Findings and Order After Hearing, the parties shall comply with the timing requirements of California Rules of Court, Rule 5.125. If the parties cannot comply with the timing requirements of Rule 5.125 because they require a transcript of the proceedings to resolve disputes over the form of order, the parties shall advise the bench officer that the transcript has been ordered and the expected date of availability of the transcript. Failure to submit Orders After Hearing in accordance with Rule 5.125 may result in the imposition of sanctions. C. It is the policy of the Kings County Superior Court not to sign orders or judgments unless some portion of the text of the order or judgment appears on the page to which the judicial officer’s signature is affixed so that the connection between the signature page and the remainder of the order or judgment is apparent. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 725; renumbered 7/1/08; amended 10/31/11; amended 7/1/20; amended 1/1/22) RULE 716 – Adoption of Schedule for Temporary Spousal Support Awards It is the policy of this court that parties be treated fairly and uniformly in determining their temporary spousal support obligations. Accordingly, the temporary spousal support guidelines used by the court will be those known as “Kings County Superior Court Guidelines” as calculated by a certified software program designated in the California Rules of Court. These schedules are subject to change. (Eff. 7/1/08) RULE 717 – Income and Expense Declaration/Financial Statement A. An Income and Expense Declaration (Judicial Council Form FL-150) must be filed and served with the moving and responsive papers in all matters when child support, spousal support, attorney fees, or payment of obligations is at issue. This provision shall not apply to individuals who are subject to contempt proceedings for non-payment of support. B. The failure to complete the Income and Expense Declaration fully, or attach the required pay stubs or income information, may result in sanctions as set forth in the Superior Court of Kings County, Local Rules, rules 103 and 700. C. If an Income and Expense Declaration is more than ninety (90) days old, the party must file a current Income and Expense Declaration. If there has been no change within the previous ninety (90) days, a declaration under penalty of perjury to that effect must be filed with the court. In either case, current verification of earnings or income must be attached as set forth in subdivision (D) below. D. For wage earners, pay stubs for the immediately preceding two (2) months, or one (1) pay stub showing year-to-date information, and W2 forms for the prior year, must be attached to all Income and Expense Declarations. E. For self-employed persons, the Income and Expense Declaration requires a profit and loss statement or Schedule C for the preceding two (2) years. F. If documents are not available (i.e., they are in the possession and control of the other party), a declaration under penalty of perjury must state that fact. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 730; amended and renumbered 7/1/08; amended 7/1/20) RULE 718 – Child Custody Recommending Counseling in Child Custody and/or Visitation Matters Parties will be referred to the Family Court Services Department for Child Custody Recommending Counseling. There are two types of Child Custody Recommending Counseling that are available to parties at the court’s discretion. Child Custody Recommending Counselors will work to assist the parties in settling the issues by agreement. A. Immediate Child Custody Recommending Counseling. At the hearing, the judicial officer may order the parties to Immediate Child Custody Recommending Counseling. The Child Custody Recommending Counselor will verbally report in open court any agreements the parties have reached and/or any recommendations of the Child Custody Recommending Counselor. If an agreeable custody and/or visitation order is not obtained as a result of Immediate Child Custody Recommending Counseling, a formal session may be ordered. B. Formal Child Custody Recommending Counseling. Parties will be referred to Formal Child Custody Recommending Counseling when deemed appropriate by the judicial officer at the time of the hearing. The parties may request to participate in Child Custody Recommending Counseling by stipulation in writing prior to a hearing. C. At the time the appointment is set, a parent may request a telephonic appearance for their Child Custody Recommending Counseling session if the parent resides more than 100 miles from Kings County. If granted, the party requesting the telephonic appearance must initiate the telephone call to the Child Custody Recommending Counselor. Where both parents reside over 100 miles from Kings County, only the parent residing the furthest distance from the court may be allowed to make a telephonic appearance at the Child Custody Recommending Counseling session. D. In a case in which there has been a history of domestic violence between the parties, in which there is a protective or restraining order in effect, or at the request of the party who is alleging domestic violence, the Child Custody Recommending Counselor, Evaluator, or Investigator shall follow the Family Court Service Domestic Violence Protocol and meet with the parties separately. E. The Child Custody Recommending Counselor may review the court file at his/her discretion. Any documents that a party wants the Child Custody Recommending Counselor to consider, must be filed in the court file no less than five (5) days prior to Child Custody Recommending Counseling. Without prior approval, the court will not consider more than ten (10) typewritten, double-spaced pages of declarations. This restriction does not apply to exhibits submitted with the declaration(s). However, no more than fifty (50) pages of exhibits (including dividers) shall be attached to any declaration. A copy of all documents must also be served on the other party/attorney or the documents will not be considered. A party’s failure to appear at any appointment with the Child Custody Recommending Counselor, of which he/she has notice and which he/she has failed to cancel at least 24 hours prior to the session, may result in a missed appointment fee and/or sanctions. F. Neither party shall bring any weapons to the Child Custody Recommending Counseling appointment. All individuals entering court facilities will be subject to search. G. No later than five (5) court days prior to the hearing, or as soon thereafter as possible, the Child Custody Recommending Counselor will file a counseling report with the court, with copies available to the parties. The report will, in the absence of an agreement, contain a recommendation to the court with respect to the matter(s) at issue. The counseling report will be deemed admitted into evidence for any child custody and visitation proceeding, subject to either parties right to subpoena and cross examine the counselor. H. At the first hearing following the parties' participation in Formal Child Custody Recommending Counseling, the court will receive the report of the counselor and attempt to resolve custody and visitation issues without trial. The parties and counsel shall attend this hearing and be prepared to discuss the counselor's recommendations. If the parties are unable to resolve custody and visitation issues at this hearing, the court will schedule a further hearing to resolve the contested issues. The court may, at the initial hearing, make interim orders pending the further hearing on the contested issues. I. Confidentiality. Except as required by California Penal Code section 11166, recommending counseling proceedings will be held in private, and all written and verbal communication will be deemed “official information” (Cal. Evid. Code § 1040). Any information may, however, be disclosed to the court. J. Participation of Children. Children shall not be present at court hearings or Child Custody Recommending Counseling unless ordered by the court or requested by the Child Custody Recommending Counselor. The court and/or Family Court Services will determine whether and under what conditions a minor may be interviewed and the terms and conditions under which counsel may be appointed for the child/ren. However, if the child is 14 years of age or older and wishes to address the court, the judicial officer will determine whether and under what conditions the child shall be permitted to do so. If a request to address the court is declined, the judicial officer shall state its reasons for that finding on the record. If the court precludes the calling of any child as a witness, the court shall provide alternative means of obtaining input from the child and other information regarding the child's preferences. K. Presence in Family Court Services. Only the parties to the case are to be present during Child Custody Recommending Counseling. Individuals who are not parties to the case shall not be allowed in the Family Court Services’ waiting room and offices. However, the parents may have a silent support person with them in session. L. Orientation. Parties are required to complete the Judicial Council of California Orientation to Family Court Mediation and Child Custody Recommending Counseling prior to participating in Child Custody Recommending Counseling. The orientation will take thirty (30) minutes to complete. The orientation is available on the court’s website at: https://www.kings.courts.ca.gov/divisions/familylaw-childcustody.htm M. Intake. Each party must complete a Family Court Services intake form prior to participating in Formal Child Custody Recommending Counseling. The information placed on the form will provide invaluable information to the Child Custody Recommending Counselor about the parties, their children, and custodial and visitation preferences. N. Service of Documents. No parent or litigant shall serve documents on the other party/parent at Family Court Services during Child Custody Recommending Counseling. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 740; amended and renumbered 7/1/08; amended 1/1/18; amended 7/1/20) RULE 719 – Custody Evaluation (§730, §3111, §3118, and Child Custody Evaluation) The following rules are in accordance with California Rules of Court, rule 5.220, Court Ordered Child Custody Evaluations. The goal of this court is to promote the best interests of the family and its children while protecting the privacy of the parties involved. The term “custody evaluator” defines an independent psychiatrist, psychologist, L.C.S.W., L.M.F.T., or court connected Child Custody Recommending Counselor completing either a comprehensive or partial child custody evaluation. A. Matters of custody and visitation will not be referred for an evaluation unless determined necessary by the court. Family Court Services can provide a limited investigation of specific issues by order of the court, and the court may permit examination and cross examination of the Child Custody Recommending Counselor. B. Whether a referral is to an independent professional for a custody evaluation, or to a court connected Child Custody Recommending Counselor for a limited investigation, the court will appoint a professional whose skills, training, and background are best suited to the particular needs of the family with qualifications as outlined in California Rules of Court, rules 5.225 and 5.230. C. In all cases referred for evaluation for which there is no previous stipulation as to the evaluator, the parties will nominate three qualified professionals, and the court will choose from that list. No preemptory challenge will be allowed once the name of the evaluator is so chosen. In all cases where the parties stipulate to such an evaluation, such stipulation will only be approved where, in the opinion of the judicial officer, the alleged facts warrant an evaluation. D. Ex parte communication. No party, or attorney for a party, shall initiate contact with an evaluator to discuss the merits of the case without notice to the other party and an opportunity to be present; a copy of any written communication must be served upon the other party or their attorney. The evaluator shall have the discretion to communicate with any person or agency that may provide information relevant to the evaluation. E. When an evaluator is interviewing children, the evaluator will state to the child in language appropriate to the child that the evaluator may need to tell the judicial officer what was discussed during their conversations so that the child is aware that their communications are not confidential. F. When ordering an evaluation, the court will state the date upon which the report is due. If any fees or costs will be charged for the evaluation, the court will make an order allocating the payment of the evaluator’s fees and costs between the parties. G. The report shall have affixed to the first page form FL-328 and shall be submitted to the court at least ten (10) days before the hearing. The court shall determine dissemination of the report after the Family Court Services Director or the Director’s designee has reviewed the report and submitted it the assigned judicial officer. 1. No written report shall be discussed by the parties or counsel with the minor child/ren at issue. 2. Without a court order to the contrary, no person with access to such written report will use the report or information contained therein in any manner outside the custody proceeding for which the report was ordered. A violation of this Local Rule may result in the imposition of monetary sanctions. 3. All reports to the court will remain confidential, and their duplication and dissemination may be subject to appropriate protective orders as determined by the court. In no event will any such report be shown to any individual not a party to the proceeding, or to their attorneys, except by order of the court. Custody Evaluation Report (form FL-328) shall be attached as the first page of the child custody evaluation report, and the report shall be filed into the court’s database at least ten (10) days before the hearing and shall remain CONFIDENTIAL. H. A Child Custody Evaluation/Investigation and Report pursuant to California Family Code section 3110 et seq., may not commence without the written order of a judicial officer. Such investigations are ordered in those cases where serious factual questions as to the health, safety, and welfare of the child/ren are involved and such an investigation is required to assist the judicial officer in reaching a decision. (Eff. 1/1/99 as Rule 741; amended and renumbered 7/1/08; amended 1/1/16)
Duval County's indigent-defense and magistration rules under the Texas Fair Defense Act (S.B. 7): who may be booked into the county jail and on what paper; arrest-case numbering; presentment to a magistrate within 48 hours (art. 15.16); the magistrate's warnings, counsel inquiry, interpreter duty, indigence determination and appointment of counsel within 24 hours of a request; the alternative appointment plan under art. 26.04(g)-(h) with annual applications, seven attorney categories (capital, first and second degree, third degree/state jail/misdemeanor, competency, appeals, post-conviction, extradition), CLE and experience standards, random rotation within each category, written acceptance within 48 hours, first contact by the end of the next working day, replacement and suspension of counsel, fee applications within five days of completing services and the compensation attachment ($500 pleas; $175/$150 hourly; $1,400 per jury-trial day; appellate caps); bail schedules by offense class with a personal bond office (fee $20 or 3%), pre-trial supervision and revocation hearings within two working days; arraignment settings and notice; repeal of conflicting rules.