This law says that every superior court has the authority to handle family-related cases under this section. When doing so, the court is referred to as the 'family conciliation court'.

This law requires that every January, the head judge of the superior court must choose at least one judge to handle all cases related to this part of the law.

This law section allows a judge from the family conciliation court to transfer a case to a different judge in the superior court if it helps move cases more quickly or needs fast attention. When a case is transferred like this, the new judge will take on the role of the family conciliation judge for that specific matter.

If the judge who normally handles family conciliation cases is unavailable for any reason, another judge from the same court can be appointed to cover their duties during that time. The substitute judge will have the same authority as the usual family conciliation judge.

In counties with a family conciliation court, the superior court can appoint a supervising counselor and a secretary to help with court functions. When courts work together under a contract, they can jointly make these appointments. The supervising counselor can hold meetings and hearings with involved parties, make recommendations, supervise actions, collect data, investigate family issues, make recommendations about underage marriages, investigate domestic relations, and mediate child custody and visitation disputes. Additional counselors and office staff can also be appointed to support court functions, all under the supervising counselor's guidance. Salaries and roles are set by the superior court based on whether the court is acting alone or in partnership with others.

If you want to work as a supervising counselor or associate counselor in family conciliation in California, you need a master's degree in a related behavioral science field and at least two years of relevant counseling experience. Familiarity with the California court system and community resources, along with knowledge of adult mental health, family psychology, child development, and the impacts of divorce and domestic violence on children, is essential. You also need training in domestic violence issues. However, the court can allow experience to count for some educational requirements, and this doesn't apply to counselors employed before 1980.

This law outlines the requirements and procedures for training evaluators involved in domestic violence and child custody cases in California. Evaluators must complete ongoing training in domestic violence issues, amounting to 16 hours annually. This includes understanding the impact of domestic violence on families, learning about legal rights and resources available to victims and perpetrators, and improving techniques for evaluating families affected by domestic violence. The training providers need to be authorized and must ensure that the training meets set standards. Evaluators who complete the training receive certificates, which they must submit to the court. The Judicial Council develops the training standards, emphasizing coordination between courts and agencies tackling domestic violence.

In every county, the probation officer has two main responsibilities related to the family conciliation court. First, they must assist the court by making investigations and reports whenever the court requests it. Second, they need to use their powers and fulfill their duties as they relate to probation laws in the state.

This law states that all court hearings or meetings related to family conciliation are private, allowing only the essential people like court officials, involved parties, their lawyers, and witnesses. Any communication from involved parties to the judge or court staff is treated as official information. Additionally, the documents connected to these family conciliation cases are kept confidential and can only be accessed by a party or their lawyer if they have written permission from the judge.

This law allows the family conciliation court's supervising counselor to destroy old records older than two years, unless they are related to child custody or visitation mediation. Those specific records can be destroyed when the child or children involved turn 18. Additionally, the judge has the option to have records copied onto microfilm instead of being destroyed.

This law allows courts to team up and share their family conciliation court services. When two or more courts decide to work together, they can agree on which court manages the funds and handle payments. They can also decide on shared or individual responsibilities for staffing and facilities. Additionally, they can decide which court's staff handles cases, except for judges. All the rules that apply to a single court providing these services also apply to courts working together under this system.