Domestic violence and child custody
If there's a history of domestic violence in a family, judges use special laws to help protect children when making decisions about child custody.
If there's a history of domestic violence in a family, judges use special laws to help protect children when making decisions about child custody.
If you need a judge to make an order as soon as possible due to an emergency, you can file a request for a temporary emergency order.
Once papers are filed starting a family law case (like a divorce or a parentage case), you can ask for a court date so a judge can make a decision about your financial or family situation. This is called requesting an order. You can request an order about many issues, like child or spousal support, or child custody and visitation (parenting time).
Find a specific page or step-by-step instructions within our child custody and visitation (parenting time) section.
There are different types of cases and papers you can file to ask for a child custody and visitation (parenting time) order. Which type of case or papers you can file depends on your situation, like whether you and the other parent are married or you already filed a family law case.
A child custody evaluation is an investigation of your child's health, safety, welfare, and best interests by a trained mental health professional (an evaluator). At the end of the investigation, the evaluator will provide a report to you and the judge with a recommendation for a parenting plan in your child's best interests.
In any case