The RegistryCounty Record · California

Family Law Attorneys in Los Angeles County, California

Counsel for divorce, custody, support, and the agreements that hold families steady. In Los Angeles County, that work runs through the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. This directory presents family law records from official State Bar of California data in neutral order.

Home to roughly a quarter of all Californians, Los Angeles County operates the largest unified trial court in the nation, with dozens of courthouses from Lancaster to Long Beach. The court of record is the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles — counsel who appear there regularly read the local calendar better than any brochure.

Before comparing counsel, note the clock. Under Cal. Fam. Code § 2339, the governing period is a divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served. Residency first: six months in California and three months in the filing county (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). Custody, support, and property orders can issue while the six-month clock runs.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

A divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served.

Cal. Fam. Code § 2339

Residency first: six months in California and three months in the filing county (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). Custody, support, and property orders can issue while the six-month clock runs.

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.

County seat: Los Angeles

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.lacourt.org

Family Law · Los Angeles County roster

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Family Law questions, cited

How is property divided in a California divorce?

California is a community property state. Assets and debts acquired during the marriage are generally community property (Cal. Fam. Code § 760) and are divided equally at divorce (Cal. Fam. Code § 2550). Separate property — what each spouse owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance (Cal. Fam. Code § 770) — stays with that spouse, though tracing commingled assets often becomes the real dispute.

How long does a divorce take in California?

At minimum six months and one day from service of the petition — Cal. Fam. Code § 2339 bars an earlier termination of marital status. Uncontested cases can be ready for judgment when the waiting period ends; contested custody or property cases routinely take longer, driven by the county superior court's family division calendar.

How is child custody decided in California?

By the best interest of the child, per Cal. Fam. Code §§ 3011 and 3020, weighing the child's health, safety, and welfare, any history of abuse, and each parent's contact with the child. California public policy favors frequent and continuing contact with both parents where safe. Most counties require mediation through Family Court Services before a contested custody hearing (Cal. Fam. Code § 3170).

How is child support calculated in California?

Under the statewide uniform guideline formula in Cal. Fam. Code § 4055, which turns primarily on both parents' net disposable incomes and the percentage of time each parent has physical responsibility for the children. The guideline amount is presumptively correct (Cal. Fam. Code § 4057); courts depart from it only in limited circumstances.

Do I need to live in California to file for divorce here?

Yes — one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in the county of filing for three months before the petition (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). If neither spouse yet qualifies, a legal separation can be filed first and amended to a dissolution once residency is met.

Legal information, not legal advice.

From the answer files

Family Law by city in Los Angeles County

Related counsel in Los Angeles County

Family Law in nearby counties

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