Family Court Services

	Family Court Services Location
	1130 O Street First Floor Fresno, CA 93721-2220 Telephone: (559) 457-2100 Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM – 4 PM

For a map to the Family Court Services location, click here.

Our Mission

Orientation

You will receive your orientation date and time from the judge at your scheduled readiness hearing. Orientation is an informational meeting of parties with child custody or child visitation issues pending before the Family Court and who will be referred by the Judge to meet with a Child Custody Recommending Counselor to assist in creating the best parenting plan involving the child or children. 

Orientation is led by Family Court Services’ staff and is intended to help parties understand and be better prepared for their mediation session.  The orientation sessions are held each Friday in the B. F. Sisk Civil Courthouse, Jury Assembly Room located on the first floor. 

Orientation in English begins at 1:30 p.m., and orientation in Spanish begins at 2:30 p.m.  You are encouraged to be on time for your orientation session as we cannot allow parties into the room once the session begins.

Attendance at the orientation is mandatory.  See Local Rule 5.5.4(A)…”All parties shall personally attend the orientation and mediation.”  Please reference the Court’s website for exceptions to the mandatory appearance requirement.

Only parents, parties who are joined to the case by court order, individuals assisting disabled parents or parties, interpreters or legal guardians for minor parents should attend orientation.  Third parties, such as boyfriends, girlfriends, fiancés, present spouse and child will not be allowed in orientation.

Orientation will be about an hour in length, and there is no charge for this service.

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Mediation

You will receive your mediation appointment date and time from the judge at your scheduled readiness hearing.  If there is a child custody dispute, you must attend mediation.  Family Code section 3170 requires that if there are contested issues regarding children, the parties must attempt to resolve their disputes through mediation before the court makes orders at a hearing. 

Each party will be asked to complete and submit an information form prior to the scheduled mediation appointment.  The information placed on the form will provide invaluable information to the Child Custody Recommending Counselor about you, your children and your wishes as to a child custody and child visitation plan. 

The Child Custody Recommending Counselor may meet with both parents together and/or individually.  Individual mediation sessions are available in domestic violence cases.  The Child Custody Recommending Counselor will ask questions to develop an understanding of your family’s history and determine the issues that need to be resolved.  When appropriate, the Child Custody Recommending Counselor will assist parents to temporarily set aside their disagreements and focus on developing a parenting plan that is in the best interest of their children.

The Family Court Services Child Custody Recommending Counselor strives to resolve disagreements between the parties regarding the care and well-being of their children.  Mediation provides parties an opportunity to resolve all differences with the assistance of a court employee who is an expert in resolving disagreements or conflicts. If the parties are able to reach an agreement, the Child Custody Recommending Counselor will help them prepare a custody/visitation plan.  That plan, or recommendation, will be submitted to the court for review and signature at your follow-up hearing.

There is no fee for mediation.

All children five (5) years old or older shall be brought to the mediation. The child or children may be interviewed at the discretion of the Child Custody Recommending Counselor.

The B.F. Sisk Civil Courthouse does offer a fully supervised and free child care facility.  We ask that you either make arrangements for your children to be attended to by a family member or friend, or place them in the court’s child’s waiting room.  You will find this facility located on the 1st floor of the courthouse.

If you have any questions regarding orientation or mediation, please do not hesitate to contact Family Court Services.

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