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Rule 12 (Rules 12.1 and 12.2): Child Custody Recommending Counseling (CCRC) and Voluntary Mediation conducted under Family Code section 3160 et seq. - CCRC when a family law action is pending (it may result in a recommendation to the court) - and child custody evaluations under California Rules of Court, Rule 5.220 (12.1(A)); Voluntary Mediation without a pending action on intake packets completed with Family Court Services, available to parties once per year, the Mediator making a recommendation to the Court on unresolved topics (12.1(B)); all contested custody and visitation matters referred to CCRC, the counselor’s confidential recommendations on disputed issues and interim recommendations (12.1(C)); temporary domestic violence restraining orders with custody and visitation issues may be referred to Family Court Services (12.1(D)); the counselor’s discretion to interview any child (12.1(E)); a support person for a party who alleges being a victim of violence (Family Code section 6303) - 18 years of age or older, not the child of either parent, not the attorney for either party, present for emotional support, a support person the counselor may exclude under section 6303(c), required to sign a Statement of Understanding (12.1(F)); a neutral interpreter fluent in English and the party’s native language, an adult family member only when appropriate interpreters are not available, in no case a child of the parties (12.1(G)); a Court-Connected Child Custody Evaluator who meets the requirements of Family Code section 3110.5, a full or partial evaluation, a fee for the evaluation, a written confidential report, and the evaluator’s declaration of 12 hours of advanced domestic violence training and four (4) hour update training by attachment to the FL-325 filed annually (12.1(H)); an evaluator’s withdrawal on good cause (12.1(I)); ex parte communication with counselors, evaluators and mediators prohibited (California Rules of Court, rule 5.235(b)(2)) unless authorized by the court, to schedule appointments, to address allegations of domestic violence, a conflict of interest or complaints, and documents provided to the counselor also provided to the other party, with a proof of service to Family Court Services (12.1(J)); any written report or recommendation confidential (Family Code section 3111(d), section 3177, Evidence Code section 1040), and the exceptions to confidentiality (12.1(K)); complaints in writing to the Court Executive Officer, a request to change counselor received no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the session, and a written response within thirty (30) calendar days (12.1(L)); a CCRC/Mediation appointment a court date, a sanction of $100.00 for failure to attend or for failing to notify Family Court Services of an agreement no less than 48 hours before, in exigent circumstances, contact with Family Court Services and the other parent no later than 4:00 PM on the day before, and sanctions remitted before another appointment, fee waivers not to apply to sanctions (12.1(M)); supervised visitation - contact between a non-custodial parent and one or more children in the presence of a neutral third person, ordered to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the child(ren) (12.2(A), 12.2(B)); the Uniform Standards of Practice (Standards of Judicial Administration, Section 5.20) and the qualifications of Family Code section 3200.5 for nonprofessional and professional providers (12.2(C), 12.2(D)); nonprofessional providers to sign and file Judicial Council Form FL-324(NP) before supervising a visitation, by mail or at the Clerk’s window at the Hall of Justice, 2610 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130 (12.2(E)); professional providers to complete a Live Scan, register as a Trustline provider, meet training requirements and file form FL-324(P), a separate updated FL-324(P) with each report and an updated declaration within five days of a change (12.2(F)); and the parties to investigate and know that a provider meets the statutory qualifications - the court does not screen, endorse, evaluate, or monitor providers - and to file a declaration within five days of a provider’s written notice of ineligibility (12.2(G)).
California > Third Appellate District > Lassen County > Superior Court of California, County of Lassen
RULE OF COURT NO. 12 CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC), MEDIATION AND SUPERVISED VISITATION 12.1 CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC)/MEDIATION/CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS. A. CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC)/MEDIATION/ CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS– GENERAL PROVISIONS. For purposes of these rules, “Child Custody Recommending Counseling” (CCRC) and “Voluntary Mediation” shall be conducted in accordance with Family Code section 3160 et seq. CCRC shall be conducted when there is a pending family law action before the court and may result in a recommendation to the court. Voluntary Child Custody Mediation may be conducted when there is not a pending family law action before the court. Child custody evaluation shall be defined by California Rules of Court, rule 5.220(c)(3) and Family Code section 3110 et seq., and shall be conducted according to the procedures set forth in California Rules of Court, Rule 5.220. B. MEDIATION WITHOUT PENDING PROCEEDING. Parties who do not have a pending family law action before the court may request Voluntary Mediation by completing intake packets with Family Court Services. This service is offered to the public when (1) sufficient time is available on the mediator’s calendar, (2) when Family Court Services has received a completed intake packet from all parties in the case, and (3) when both parties have completed orientation. Failure to come to a complete agreement during Voluntary Mediation shall result in the Mediator making a recommendation to the Court on unresolved topics. If the parties come to a complete agreement during Voluntary Mediation no recommendation to the court will be made. Voluntary Mediation is available to parties once per year. If within a year from their voluntary mediation date parties are requesting or needing changes to their current custody agreement, they will need to file the appropriate paperwork to have the case placed on calendar for judicial review. C. REFERRAL TO CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC) /RECOMMENDATIONS – CHILD CUSTODY AND VISITATION. All contested custody and visitation matters shall be referred to CCRC prior to or at a court hearing in order to assist the parties in developing a parenting plan that protects the health, safety, welfare, and best interest of the child. In pending actions before the court, if the parties are unable to reach an agreement during the CCRC session(s), the child custody recommending counselor shall make recommendations to the court on the disputed issues. The recommendation will be marked confidential and will be reviewed and considered by the judge when making an order. The child custody recommending counselor may also make an interim recommendation for a temporary parenting plan pending completion of the custody recommendation. D. REFERRAL TO FAMILY COURT SERVICES – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESTRAINING ORDERS . Temporary domestic violence restraining orders with child custody and visitation issues orders may be referred to Family Court Services. E. PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN IN CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC). The child custody recommending counselor shall have the discretion to interview any child involved in a child custody proceeding pending before the court. F. SUPPORT PERSONS. Pursuant to Family Code section 6303, in cases where a person alleges that they are a victim of violence, he or she shall be advised of and provided the opportunity to have a support person attend CCVC/Voluntary Mediation services with them. The support person must be 18 years of age or older, shall not be the child of either parent, shall not be the attorney for either party, and shall not be a service provider, except a mental health service provider or domestic violence advocate. The support person shall not be present as a legal adviser and shall not give legal advice. The support person is present to provide emotional support to the victim. A child custody recommending counselor/mediator may exclude a support person pursuant to Family Code section 6303(c), if the support person participates or acts as an advocate or is disruptive or disrupts the process of CCRC/Voluntary Mediation. The support person is required to sign a Family Court Services’ Statement of Understanding agreeing to keep the CCRC/Voluntary Mediation confidential. G. INTERPRETERS IN CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC). If an interpreter is needed for CCRC/Voluntary Mediation, a neutral person who is fluent in both English and the non-English speaking party’s native language must accompany them to CCRC/Voluntary Mediation. An adult family member may only act as an interpreter when appropriate interpreters are not available. In no case may a child of the parties serve as an interpreter. H. CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS. Any case in which custody or visitation remains in dispute after completion of CCRC, the court may appoint a child custody evaluator to conduct a child custody evaluation in cases where the court determines it is in the best interests of the child(ren). The evaluation shall be referred to a Court-Connected Child Custody Evaluator who meets the requirements of Family Code section 3110.5. The court may order a full or partial evaluation as defined in California Rules of Court, rules 5.220(c)(4) and (5). The parties may be charged a fee for the evaluation through Lassen Superior Court. The Court-Connected Child Custody Evaluator shall file with the court a written confidential report pursuant to Family Code section 3111, Family Code section 3118, Evidence Code section 730, and/or Chapter 15, Code of Civil Procedure section 2032.010 et seq. (1) Pursuant to California Rules of Court 5.230(f), the Court-Connected Child Custody Evaluator shall provide a declaration of completion of 12 hours of advanced domestic violence training and four (4) hour update training in domestic violence by attachment to the FL-325, Declaration of Court-Connected Child Custody Evaluator Regarding Qualification, filed annually with the court. I. WITHDRAWAL FROM A CASE. A Court-Connected Child Custody Evaluator may, upon a showing of good cause before the court, withdraw from a case. J. EX PARTE COMMUNICATION. Pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 5.235(b)(2), ex parte communication is defined as a direct or indirect communication on the substance of a pending case without the knowledge, presence, or consent of all parties involved in the matter. Ex parte communication is prohibited between the court-connected or court appointed child custody recommending counselors /evaluators/mediator and any party, the attorney for any party, a court-appointed counsel for a child, or the court, unless: (a) Authorized by the court; (b) to schedule appointments; (c) address a case involving allegations of domestic violence including informing the court of the necessity of a restraining order to prevent an imminent risk to the safety of the child or party; carry out the responsibilities child custody recommending counselors/evaluators/mediators may have as mandated reporters or to warn; (d) to provide an interview to a court-appointed counsel for a child; (e) to allow child custody recommending counselors/ evaluators/mediators to investigate or disclose an actual or potential conflict of interest or dual relationship; and/or (f) to address complaints. Nothing in this rule shall prohibit the child custody evaluator from contacting either party during the course of a child custody evaluation to fulfill the requirements of California Rules of Court 5.220. Any documents/information provided by one party and/or that party’s attorney to the child custody recommending counselor/evaluator/mediator must also be provided to the other party and/or their attorney(s). A proof of service form stating that the other party was provided with copies of any information must be submitted to Family Court Services with all documents served on the other party before review by the child custody recommending counselor/evaluator/mediator. K. CONFIDENTIALITY OF FAMILY COURT SERVICES PROCEEDINGS. (1) In any family law proceeding involving the custody or visitation of minor children, any written report or recommendation from the child custody recommending counselor or child custody evaluator shall be confidential and unavailable to any person except the court, the parties, their attorneys, expert witnesses and any person to whom the court expressly grants access. (a) Pursuant to Family Code section 3111(d), if the court determines that an unwarranted disclosure of a written confidential report has been made, the court may impose a monetary sanction against the disclosing party. (b) Pursuant to Family Code section 3177, Family Court CRC/Voluntary Mediation shall be held in private and shall be confidential. All communications, verbal or written, from the parties to the Child Custody Recommending Counselor/Mediator made in the proceedings are official information within the meaning of Evidence Code section 1040. The CCRC/Voluntary Mediation file is confidential. (c) If the case is referred for an evaluation/investigation by the court, the court-connected child custody evaluator and/or court investigator shall have access to the CCRC/Voluntary Mediation file. (2) Exceptions to confidentiality: (a) Nothing in this section shall prevent Family Court Services staff from disclosing the existence of another court case involving the children at issue or their parents, stepparents, or legal guardians for purposes of coordinating court hearings and delivery of services. (b) Nothing in this section shall restrict Family Court Services staff from complying with any law requiring reporting of child abuse and the fact that a report was made or exists shall not be deemed confidential. (c) The fact that CCRC/Voluntary Mediation took place, the time and place of that session, and the identities of participants shall not be deemed confidential in a joint CCRC/Voluntary Mediation session. If a separate CCRC/Voluntary Mediation session has occurred due to a history of violence between the parties, the date and time of that session shall be deemed confidential and parties are cautioned not to inform the other party of the date and time set. The fact that an agreement was or was not reached and the contents of any signed, endorsed-filed agreement and/or order resulting from a CCRC/Voluntary Mediation session shall not be deemed confidential. L. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE. All complaints raised in connection with Family Court Services shall be submitted in writing to the Court Executive Officer for review and investigation if appropriate. All complaints will receive a response in writing. The complaint forms shall be available to the public at the court’s filing office. Any request for a change of Child Custody Recommending Counselor or any complaints relating to the Child Custody Recommending Counselor should be addressed to, and must be received by, the Court Executive Officer no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the Child Custody Recommending Counseling session. Requests or complaints received after this time frame will not be considered. All information contained in the complaint form will be made available to all parties and the Child Custody Recommending Counselor involved in the case. The Court Executive Officer will issue a written response to a complaint relating to the Child Custody Recommending Counselor within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of the complaint. M. TIMELY ATTENDANCE, CANCELLATION AND SANCTIONS FOR FAILURE TO ATTEND OR LATE CANCELLATION OF APPOINTMENT. (a) Timely Attendance. The date and time for Child Custody Recommending Counseling (CCRC) or Mediation will be set by the court. The CCRC/Mediation appointment shall be considered a court date at which the parties are required to appear. All parties must attend their scheduled CCRC/Mediation appointment on time. Failure to attend at the scheduled date and time may result in the imposition of a sanction of $100.00 on the absent party. (b) Cancellation of Appointments. If an agreement is reached prior to the scheduled CCRC/Mediation appointment, both parties and/or their attorneys must contact Family Court Services to cancel the appointment and advise that an agreement has been reached. Notification must be provided no less than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment. Failure to notify the Court within this timeframe may result in a sanction of $100.00 imposed on each party for failing to attend the scheduled appointment. (c) Exigent Circumstances. If an exigent circumstance arises preventing a party from attending the scheduled appointment, that party must contact Family Court Services and the other parent no later than 4:00 PM on the day before the scheduled appointment, providing an explanation and requesting to reschedule. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in sanctions. (d) Payment of Sanctions. Any sanctions imposed for failure to appear or cancel as detailed herein must be remitted to the court before another appointment will be scheduled. Fee waivers do not apply to sanctions imposed for failure to comply with this rule. (Effective 1/1/08, as amended: 1/1/13, 1/1/15, 7/1/19, 1/1/23, 7/1/23, 1/1/25, 7/1/26) 12.2 SUPERVISED VISITATION. A. DEFINITION. Contact between a non-custodial parent and one or more children in the presence of a neutral third person. B. PURPOSE. A supervised visitation monitor may be ordered in child custody cases to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the child(ren) while allowing the non-custodial party access to their child(ren) in a secure environment. C. UNIFORM STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR PROVIDERS OF SUPERVISED VISITATION. The standards of practice apply to all providers of supervised visitation, whether a nonprofessional provider or a professional provider. The court considers whether to use a professional or nonprofessional provider based upon the child’s best interest. The professional and the nonprofessional provider must comply with and meet specific qualifications specified in Family Code section 3200.5 The Uniform Standards of Practice can be found in its entirety in the California Rules of Court, Standards of Judicial Administration, Section 5.20. D. TYPE OF PROVIDER. (1) Nonprofessional Provider: is a person who is not paid for providing supervised visitation services. (2) Professional Provider: is any person who is paid for providing supervised visitation services, or an independent contractor, employee, intern, or volunteer operating independently or through a supervised visitation center or agency. E. NON-PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISED PROVIDERS’ REQUIREMENTS. (1) Before supervising a visitation, nonprofessional providers must sign and file with the court Judicial Council Form FL-324(NP), Declaration of Supervised Visitation Provider (Nonprofessional) stating that they have met all requirements to be a nonprofessional provider. (2) Completed declaration forms may be submitted by mail or at the Clerk’s window at the Hall of Justice, 2610 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130. (3) Nonprofessional providers are required to review Supervised Visitation - A Guide for Non-Professional Providers published by the Judicial Council. F. PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISED VISITATION PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS. (1) A professional provider must complete a Live Scan, register as a Trustline provider, meet specific training requirements (California Rules of Court 5.20 (f)), and file a completed Judicial Council Form FL-324(P), Declaration of Supervised Visitation Provider (Professional) form with the court before providing supervised visitation services. (2) The professional provider must sign a separate, updated form FL-324(P) each time the professional provider submits a report to the court. (3) When any information contained in the Declaration of Supervised Visitation Provider has changed, the provider must serve an updated version on all parties, their attorneys, and the child’s attorney, and then file with the court within five days of the change in information. (4) Completed declaration forms may be submitted by mail or at the Clerk’s window at the Hall of Justice, 2610 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130. (5) The professional provider must produce a report about the supervised visitation if ordered by the court or when a parent or attorney requests it or an attorney for the child. Providers should send copies to all parties, their attorneys, and the attorney for the child. G. DUTIES OF PARTIES AND PROVIDERS. (1) The court does not screen, endorse, evaluate, or monitor supervised visitation service providers. The parties must investigate and know that a professional or nonprofessional provider meets the statutory qualifications, training, and continuing education requirements. (2) In the event a provider becomes ineligible to provide services for any reason, the provider must immediately contact all parties, their attorneys, and the child’s attorney, and must state, in writing, the reasons the provider is no longer eligible. Within five days of receipt of the provider’s written notice of ineligibility, the parties must file with the court a declaration containing all pertinent information related to the provider’s disqualification. (Effective 7/1/22, renumbered 1/1/23)
RULE OF COURT NO. 12 CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC), MEDIATION AND SUPERVISED VISITATION 12.1 CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC)/MEDIATION/CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS. A. CHILD CUSTODY RECOMMENDING COUNSELING (CCRC)/MEDIATION/ CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS– GENERAL PROVISIONS. For purposes of these rules, “Child Custody Recommending Counseling” (CCRC) and “Voluntary Mediation” sh
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-12 (California T4 Lassen build 2026-10-12) from BenchPath custody ca/t4/ca-lassen/docs/local-rules/local-rules-court-effective-july-1-2026.pdf (the court's rule book, its cover “SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LASSEN LOCAL RULES OF COURT Effective July 1, 2026”, as fetched 2026-10-12; 902440 bytes, sha256 b04136070555eb679f27e6020412087f261a95fe203b285fa7225070791bc2b4; 112 pages; this rule PDF pages 63 to 70, printed pages 63 to 70) with the shared verbatim composer (v2 reflow): the rules (PDF pages 5 to 100, printed 5 to 100) composed as one text and cut at the nineteen headings “RULE OF COURT NO. 1” to “RULE OF COURT NO. 19”, each matched once as a whole line (a rule may begin mid-page); the running header of every page (“Superior Court of California, County of Lassen”) and its running footer (“Local Rules of Court”, “Rev. 7/1/26”, “www.Lassen.Courts.CA.gov” and the page number), each named and a whole line in its band, removed as chrome - 480 chrome lines; lines reflowed into the rules' paragraphs, each rule's heading and title, each numbered rule (“6.1 TELEPHONIC APPEARANCE RULE.”), each lettered or numbered subdivision starting a line, a line in capitals ending its paragraph, and each history line (“(Effective ...)”) on a line of its own; the strike report (review/strike-report-2026-10-12.txt) finds no struck run on the book's 112 pages; no table on the rule pages; 9 whitespace-only fixes (build/book-fixes.json: Rule 1's “At-Issue” / “Memorandum” sentence rejoined; Rule 7(B)'s excepted case types set row by row, their cells left to right; Rule 15.7(c)'s complaint addresses and Rule 19.3(g)'s claims address each set one printed line to a line; two pairs of Rule 19.4(a)'s fee lines set apart); the vertical-gap, short-line, page-break, bold, false-break, fragment and row audits (custody file book_extra_audits.py; review/book-extra-audits-2026-10-12.txt and review/book-audits-after-fixes-2026-10-12.txt) list candidates read one by one (build/book_fixes.py) - the rest kept as printed (list items without closing punctuation, the run-in bold headings of Rule 19.4(b) and (d), the “OR” lines between alternatives); 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 4), the alphabetical subject index (101 to 110) and the two appendices of local forms (111 and 112) belong to no card. Review note: Carried as printed: Rule 12.1(F) “CCVC/Voluntary Mediation services” and Rule 12.1(K)(1)(b) “Family Court CRC/Voluntary Mediation” (elsewhere CCRC); Rule 12.2(C) ends “Family Code section 3200.5” without a period.
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.
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.
The 23 local rules of the Starr County district courts: definitions and the election of the Local Administrative District Judge (last Friday in January of odd years; two-year term from February 1); random, equal assignment of district cases and the County Court at Law's share (family cases, civil cases pleading $100,000 or less, misdemeanors); the case-numbering format effective January 1, 2019 (year, CV/CR/CRS/FM/TAX, five digits; CRS for the 229th, CR for the 381st); notice of visiting-judge assignments; electronically transmitted pleadings (cover sheet, seven-day fee window, returns of service and bonds on paper, one-hour clerk handling of child-protection filings); transfer of related civil cases to the earlier court and SAPCR transfer to the divorce court; pre-trial settings through the Court Coordinator; District Clerk duties and I-Docket access; severance; temporary, emergency and ex parte orders; uncontested matters first; assignment of related prosecutions and superseding-indictment numbering (S1, S2); the protocol for trial priority (jury over non-jury, criminal over civil, jailed defendants first, oldest case first, special settings by written reasons, duties of counsel with conflicting settings); court staff; jury impaneling; the ad litem/guardian ad litem/amicus appointment rotation, duties, vouchers within thirty days and objections within thirty days; and courtroom decorum and attire.
The Jim Wells County Court at Law's rules: ad litem, guardian ad litem and amicus appointment lists, qualifications, duties, flat-fee ($275) and hourly ($75–$125) compensation, voucher deadlines and fee objections; rules of administration with the 79th District Court (family-code cases and civil cases between $500 and $250,000 assigned to the County Court at Law); remote non-jury proceedings by Zoom with e-mailed setting requests, Dropbox exhibits and YouTube broadcast; settings, proposed orders, exhibits and courtroom decorum.