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When the County pays for minor's counsel: an hourly cap of $150.00; initial ceiling levels One to Six ($3,000 to $7,500, Level Six set by the court); compensation through the Professional Appointee Court Expense (PACE) program; notice to the Supervising Judge at $125,000 (or $150,000 with probate appointments) in a fiscal year; written requests for additional compensation; and the status of fees at every hearing. Supersedes the order of June 5, 2019.
California > Second Appellate District > Los Angeles County > Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles > Family Law
2022-SJ-007-00 [File stamp: FILED, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, MAR 18 2022, Sherri R. Carter, Executive Officer/Clerk, By: Kodi Elzie, Deputy] SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES IN RE MINOR’S COUNSEL APPOINTMENTS [FAMILY CODE SECTION 3153(b)] THE FAMILY LAW SUPERVISING JUDGE’S STANDING ORDER RE: APPOINTMENT OF MINOR’S COUNSEL Pursuant to California Rule of Court, Rule 10.603, the Presiding Judge has delegated to the Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division authority to establish this court-wide order. California Family Code Section 3150 permits the Court to appoint counsel to represent the interests of a minor child in a custody or visitation proceeding (Minor’s Counsel) under specified circumstances as set forth in the Family Code and California Rule of Court, Rules 5.240, 5.241 and 5.242. Those rules also set forth eligibility requirements for counsel so appointed. The Court is authorized to determine a reasonable sum for compensation and expenses of counsel so appointed under Family Code section 3153. The Court establishes the following requirements and procedures for minor’s counsel accepting or continuing any appointment to represent a minor if the Court determines under the provisions of California Rule of Court, Rule 5.241(b) [determination of ability to pay] that both parents together cannot afford the cost of minor’s counsel and that the County of Los Angeles shall pay all or some of the cost of Minor’s Counsel: 1. Minor’s Counsel shall not bill in excess of $150.00 per hour. 2. The Court shall establish at the time of the appointment an initial ceiling level on the Minor’s Counsel fees and costs in each case which the Court may modify from time to time for good cause shown. 3. Absent further order of court, Minor’s Counsel shall not be reimbursed beyond this Court-authorized amount. 4. The initial ceiling levels are: a. LEVEL ONE: $3,000.00. This level contemplates that Minor’s Counsel will interview the child and parents, and will likely make one court appearance. b. LEVEL TWO: $4,000.00. This level contemplates that Minor’s Counsel will perform the work indicated in Level One but is representing two minor children in the same custody or visitation proceeding and/or there are more than two parties claiming rights of custody or visitation with the minor children. c. LEVEL THREE: $5,000.00. This level contemplates that Minor’s Counsel will perform work materially in excess of Level One by seeking information from other persons or sources and will likely make two or three court appearances. d. LEVEL FOUR: $6,500.00. This level contemplates that Minor’s Counsel will perform the work indicated in Level Three but is representing two minor children in the same custody or visitation proceeding and/or there are more than two parties claiming rights of custody or visitation with the minor children. e. LEVEL FIVE: $7,500.00. This level contemplates that Minor’s Counsel will engage in complex factual investigations and/or complex legal issues and will likely make more than three court appearances. f. LEVEL SIX: For this level, the initial appointment and limit is to be determined by the Court based on the totality of the circumstances. This level applies to cases of very significant factual and/or legal complexity and/or aggravated allegations of high conflict or abuse, or where a minor otherwise has extraordinary needs. 5. Minor’s Counsel shall be compensated through the Professional Appointee Court Expense, (“PACE.”) Minor’s Counsel shall comply with the rules and procedures of the PACE program [which may be accessed at http://www.lacourt.ca.gov/generalinfo/pace/pdf/Instructions_for_All_New_Appointees.pdf.]. 6. If payment is requested by any Minor’s Counsel that exceeds $125,000 in any fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), PACE will notify the Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division. 7. If payment is requested by any Minor’s Counsel who has received compensation for Probate Code 1470 and 1471 appointments (including reappointments) and Family Code section 3153(b) appointments that exceeds $150,000 in any fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), PACE will notify the Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division. 8. Requests for additional compensation by Court-appointed counsel above the initial ceiling level shall be submitted in writing and must include the total amount previously approved for the attorney on the case, as well as establish good cause for the additional compensation. The Court may award additional compensation upon competent evidence of good cause. Requests for additional fees and costs shall be made on the Request by Court Appointed Counsel or Expert for Payment of or Authorization for Additional Time or Expenses form. 9. Minor’s Counsel must inform the Court at every hearing of the status of all fees incurred, whether or not yet billed. This order supersedes the existing general order dated June 5, 2019. GOOD CAUSE APPEARING, IT IS SO ORDERED. DATED: March 18, 2022 AMY PELLMAN Supervising Judge, Family Law Department STANDING ORDER RE MINOR’S COUNSEL APPOINTMENTS [In the PACE link the separators between words sit on the link's underline; they are read as underscores.]
2022-SJ-007-00 [File stamp: FILED, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, MAR 18 2022, Sherri R. Carter, Executive Officer/Clerk, By: Kodi Elzie, Deputy] SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES IN RE MINOR’S COUNSEL APPOINTMENTS [FAMILY CODE SECTION 3153(b)] THE FAMILY LAW SUPERVISING JUDGE’S STANDING ORDER RE: APPOINTMENT OF MINOR’S COUNSEL Pursuant t
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-29 (California T3 Los Angeles build 2026-09-29) from BenchPath custody ca/t3/ca-los-angeles/general-orders/LIBOPSFamily-63-2022-SJ-007-00MinorsCounselAppointmentsFamilyCodeSection3153b.pdf (265118 bytes, sha256 ed267bbbde097cdfc2a285a702ea6f6dbdde9fa4cfe15c3ca92f375143c6179f; 3 pages) - the court's own posted PDF, a page scan: transcribed by eye from the rendered page images (200 dpi), every page read against the image; a local machine reading (RapidOCR) served only as a second reader, every six-word window of the transcription looked up in it and every miss checked on the page; the clerk's file stamp in one bracketed line, handwritten or stamped fills in place with a bracketed note, a running footer transcribed once, pleading line numbers and fill marks omitted; a signature itself is not transcribed.
Standing order of the 109th Judicial District Court for every pending or later-filed case in Andrews, Winkler and Crane Counties: any attorney or self-represented litigant who uses any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting in a case must, before using AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the court's certification form stating that all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate by a human through traditional (non-AI) legal sources, and acknowledging responsibility and potential sanctions for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply. Effective immediately; in effect until rescinded or replaced.
Standing order of the 109th Judicial District Court for every pending or later-filed case in Andrews, Winkler and Crane Counties: any attorney or self-represented litigant who uses any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting in a case must, before using AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the court's certification form stating that all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate by a human through traditional (non-AI) legal sources, and acknowledging responsibility and potential sanctions for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply. Effective immediately; in effect until rescinded or replaced.