2009 California Family Code - Section 3020-3032 :: Chapter 1. General Provisions

3020.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares that it is the public
policy of this state to assure that the health, safety, and welfare
of children shall be the court's primary concern in determining the
best interest of children when making any orders regarding the
physical or legal custody or visitation of children. The Legislature
further finds and declares that the perpetration of child abuse or
domestic violence in a household where a child resides is detrimental
to the child.
   (b) The Legislature finds and declares that it is the public
policy of this state to assure that children have frequent and
continuing contact with both parents after the parents have separated
or dissolved their marriage, or ended their relationship, and to
encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child
rearing in order to effect this policy, except where the contact
would not be in the best interest of the child, as provided in
Section 3011.
   (c) Where the policies set forth in subdivisions (a) and (b) of
this section are in conflict, any court's order regarding physical or
legal custody or visitation shall be made in a manner that ensures
the health, safety, and welfare of the child and the safety of all
family members.

3021.  This part applies in any of the following:
   (a) A proceeding for dissolution of marriage.
   (b) A proceeding for nullity of marriage.
   (c) A proceeding for legal separation of the parties.
   (d) An action for exclusive custody pursuant to Section 3120.
   (e) A proceeding to determine physical or legal custody or for
visitation in a proceeding pursuant to the Domestic Violence
Prevention Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 6200)).
   In an action under Section 6323, nothing in this subdivision shall
be construed to authorize physical or legal custody, or visitation
rights, to be granted to any party to a Domestic Violence Prevention
Act proceeding who has not established a parent and child
relationship pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section
6323.
   (f) A proceeding to determine physical or legal custody or
visitation in an action pursuant to the Uniform Parentage Act (Part 3
(commencing with Section 7600) of Division 12).
   (g) A proceeding to determine physical or legal custody or
visitation in an action brought by the district attorney pursuant to
Section 17404.

3022.  The court may, during the pendency of a proceeding or at any
time thereafter, make an order for the custody of a child during
minority that seems necessary or proper.

3022.3.  Upon the trial of a question of fact in a proceeding to
determine the custody of a minor child, the court shall, upon the
request of either party, issue a statement of the decision explaining
the factual and legal basis for its decision pursuant to Section 632
of the Code of Civil Procedure.

3022.5.  A motion by a parent for reconsideration of an existing
child custody order shall be granted if the motion is based on the
fact that the other parent was convicted of a crime in connection
with falsely accusing the moving parent of child abuse.

3023.  (a) If custody of a minor child is the sole contested issue,
the case shall be given preference over other civil cases, except
matters to which special precedence may be given by law, for
assigning a trial date and shall be given an early hearing.
   (b) If there is more than one contested issue and one of the
issues is the custody of a minor child, the court, as to the issue of
custody, shall order a separate trial. The separate trial shall be
given preference over other civil cases, except matters to which
special precedence may be given by law, for assigning a trial date.

3024.  In making an order for custody, if the court does not
consider it inappropriate, the court may specify that a parent shall
notify the other parent if the parent plans to change the residence
of the child for more than 30 days, unless there is prior written
agreement to the removal. The notice shall be given before the
contemplated move, by mail, return receipt requested, postage
prepaid, to the last known address of the parent to be notified. A
copy of the notice shall also be sent to that parent's counsel of
record. To the extent feasible, the notice shall be provided within a
minimum of 45 days before the proposed change of residence so as to
allow time for mediation of a new agreement concerning custody. This
section does not affect orders made before January 1, 1989.

3025.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, access to records
and information pertaining to a minor child, including, but not
limited to, medical, dental, and school records, shall not be denied
to a parent because that parent is not the child's custodial parent.

3025.5.  In any proceeding involving child custody or visitation
rights, if a report containing psychological evaluations of a child
or recommendations regarding custody of, or visitation with, a child
is submitted to the court, including, but not limited to, a report
created pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 3110) of this
part, a recommendation made to the court pursuant to Section 3183,
and a written statement of issues and contentions pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 3151, that information shall be contained
in a document that shall be placed in the confidential portion of the
court file of the proceeding, and may not be disclosed, except to
the following persons:
   (a) A party to the proceeding and his or her attorney.
   (b) A federal or state law enforcement officer, judicial officer,
court employee, or family court facilitator for the county in which
the action was filed, or an employee or agent of that facilitator,
acting within the scope of his or her duties.
   (c) Counsel appointed for the child pursuant to Section 3150.
   (d) Any other person upon order of the court for good cause.

3026.  Family reunification services shall not be ordered as a part
of a child custody or visitation rights proceeding. Nothing in this
section affects the applicability of Section 16507 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code.

3027.  (a) If allegations of child sexual abuse are made during a
child custody proceeding and the court has concerns regarding the
child's safety, the court may take any reasonable, temporary steps as
the court, in its discretion, deems appropriate under the
circumstances to protect the child's safety until an investigation
can be completed. Nothing in this section shall affect the
applicability of Section 16504 or 16506 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code.
   (b) If allegations of child sexual abuse are made during a child
custody proceeding, the court may request that the local child
welfare services agency conduct an investigation of the allegations
pursuant to Section 328 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Upon
completion of the investigation, the agency shall report its findings
to the court.

3027.1.  (a) If a court determines, based on the investigation
described in Section 3027 or other evidence presented to it, that an
accusation of child abuse or neglect made during a child custody
proceeding is false and the person making the accusation knew it to
be false at the time the accusation was made, the court may impose
reasonable money sanctions, not to exceed all costs incurred by the
party accused as a direct result of defending the accusation, and
reasonable attorney's fees incurred in recovering the sanctions,
against the person making the accusation. For the purposes of this
section, "person" includes a witness, a party, or a party's attorney.
   (b) On motion by any person requesting sanctions under this
section, the court shall issue its order to show cause why the
requested sanctions should not be imposed. The order to show cause
shall be served on the person against whom the sanctions are sought
and a hearing thereon shall be scheduled by the court to be conducted
at least 15 days after the order is served.
   (c) The remedy provided by this section is in addition to any
other remedy provided by law.

3027.5.  (a) No parent shall be placed on supervised visitation, or
be denied custody of or visitation with his or her child, and no
custody or visitation rights shall be limited, solely because the
parent (1) lawfully reported suspected sexual abuse of the child, (2)
otherwise acted lawfully, based on a reasonable belief, to determine
if his or her child was the victim of sexual abuse, or (3) sought
treatment for the child from a licensed mental health professional
for suspected sexual abuse.
   (b) The court may order supervised visitation or limit a parent's
custody or visitation if the court finds substantial evidence that
the parent, with the intent to interfere with the other parent's
lawful contact with the child, made a report of child sexual abuse,
during a child custody proceeding or at any other time, that he or
she knew was false at the time it was made. Any limitation of custody
or visitation, including an order for supervised visitation,
pursuant to this subdivision, or any statute regarding the making of
a false child abuse report, shall be imposed only after the court has
determined that the limitation is necessary to protect the health,
safety, and welfare of the child, and the court has considered the
state's policy of assuring that children have frequent and continuing
contact with both parents as declared in subdivision (b) of Section
3020.

3028.  (a) The court may order financial compensation for periods
when a parent fails to assume the caretaker responsibility or when a
parent has been thwarted by the other parent when attempting to
exercise custody or visitation rights contemplated by a custody or
visitation order, including, but not limited to, an order for joint
physical custody, or by a written or oral agreement between the
parents.
   (b) The compensation shall be limited to (1) the reasonable
expenses incurred for or on behalf of a child, resulting from the
other parent's failure to assume caretaker responsibility or (2) the
reasonable expenses incurred by a parent for or on behalf of a child,
resulting from the other parent's thwarting of the parent's efforts
to exercise custody or visitation rights. The expenses may include
the value of caretaker services but are not limited to the cost of
services provided by a third party during the relevant period.
   (c) The compensation may be requested by noticed motion or an
order to show cause, which shall allege, under penalty of perjury,
(1) a minimum of one hundred dollars ($100) of expenses incurred or
(2) at least three occurrences of failure to exercise custody or
visitation rights or (3) at least three occurrences of the thwarting
of efforts to exercise custody or visitation rights within the six
months before filing of the motion or order.
   (d) Attorney's fees shall be awarded to the prevailing party upon
a showing of the nonprevailing party's ability to pay as required by
Section 270.

3029.  An order granting custody to a parent who is receiving, or in
the opinion of the court is likely to receive, assistance pursuant
to the Family Economic Security Act of 1982 (Chapter 2 (commencing
with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code) for the maintenance of the child shall include an
order pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4000) of Part 2
of Division 9 of this code, directing the noncustodial parent to pay
any amount necessary for the support of the child, to the extent of
the noncustodial parent's ability to pay.

3030.  (a) (1) No person shall be granted physical or legal custody
of, or unsupervised visitation with, a child if the person is
required to be registered as a sex offender under Section 290 of the
Penal Code where the victim was a minor, or if the person has been
convicted under Section 273a, 273d, or 647.6 of the Penal Code,
unless the court finds that there is no significant risk to the child
and states its reasons in writing or on the record. The child may
not be placed in a home in which that person resides, nor permitted
to have unsupervised visitation with that person, unless the court
states the reasons for its findings in writing or on the record.
   (2) No person shall be granted physical or legal custody of, or
unsupervised visitation with, a child if anyone residing in the
person's household is required, as a result of a felony conviction in
which the victim was a minor, to register as a sex offender under
Section 290 of the Penal Code, unless the court finds there is no
significant risk to the child and states its reasons in writing or on
the record. The child may not be placed in a home in which that
person resides, nor permitted to have unsupervised visitation with
that person, unless the court states the reasons for its findings in
writing or on the record.
   (3) The fact that a child is permitted unsupervised contact with a
person who is required, as a result of a felony conviction in which
the victim was a minor, to be registered as a sex offender under
Section 290 of the Penal Code, shall be prima facie evidence that the
child is at significant risk. When making a determination regarding
significant risk to the child, the prima facie evidence shall
constitute a presumption affecting the burden of producing evidence.
However, this presumption shall not apply if there are factors
mitigating against its application, including whether the party
seeking custody or visitation is also required, as the result of a
felony conviction in which the victim was a minor, to register as a
sex offender under Section 290 of the Penal Code.
   (b) No person shall be granted custody of, or visitation with, a
child if the person has been convicted under Section 261 of the Penal
Code and the child was conceived as a result of that violation.
   (c) No person shall be granted custody of, or unsupervised
visitation with, a child if the person has been convicted of murder
in the first degree, as defined in Section 189 of the Penal Code, and
the victim of the murder was the other parent of the child who is
the subject of the order, unless the court finds that there is no
risk to the child's health, safety, and welfare, and states the
reasons for its finding in writing or on the record. In making its
finding, the court may consider, among other things, the following:
   (1) The wishes of the child, if the child is of sufficient age and
capacity to reason so as to form an intelligent preference.
   (2) Credible evidence that the convicted parent was a victim of
abuse, as defined in Section 6203, committed by the deceased parent.
That evidence may include, but is not limited to, written reports by
law enforcement agencies, child protective services or other social
welfare agencies, courts, medical facilities, or other public
agencies or private nonprofit organizations providing services to
victims of domestic abuse.
   (3) Testimony of an expert witness, qualified under Section 1107
of the Evidence Code, that the convicted parent experiences intimate
partner battering.
   Unless and until a custody or visitation order is issued pursuant
to this subdivision, no person shall permit or cause the child to
visit or remain in the custody of the convicted parent without the
consent of the child's custodian or legal guardian.
   (d) The court may order child support that is to be paid by a
person subject to subdivision (a), (b), or (c) to be paid through the
local child support agency, as authorized by Section 4573 of the
Family Code and Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000) of this
code.
   (e) The court shall not disclose, or cause to be disclosed, the
custodial parent's place of residence, place of employment, or the
child's school, unless the court finds that the disclosure would be
in the best interest of the child.

3030.5.  (a) Upon the motion of one or both parents, or the legal
guardian or custodian, or upon the court's own motion, an order
granting physical or legal custody of, or unsupervised visitation
with, a child may be modified or terminated if either of the
following circumstances has occurred since the order was entered,
unless the court finds that there is no significant risk to the child
and states its reasons in writing or on the record:
   (1) The person who has been granted physical or legal custody of,
or unsupervised visitation with the child is required, as a result of
a felony conviction in which the victim was a minor, to be
registered as a sex offender under Section 290 of the Penal Code.
   (2) The person who has been granted physical or legal custody of,
or unsupervised visitation with, the child resides with another
person who is required, as a result of a felony conviction in which
the victim was a minor, to be registered as a sex offender under
Section 290 of the Penal Code.
   (b) The fact that a child is permitted unsupervised contact with a
person who is required, as a result of a felony conviction in which
the victim was a minor, to be registered as a sex offender under
Section 290 of the Penal Code, shall be prima facie evidence that the
child is at significant risk. When making a determination regarding
significant risk to the child, the prima facie evidence shall
constitute a presumption affecting the burden of producing evidence.
However, this presumption shall not apply if there are factors
mitigating against its application, including whether the party
seeking custody or visitation is also required, as the result of a
felony conviction in which the victim was a minor, to register as a
sex offender under Section 290 of the Penal Code.
   (c) The court shall not modify an existing custody or visitation
order upon the ex parte petition of one party pursuant to this
section without providing notice to the other party and an
opportunity to be heard. This notice provision applies only when the
motion for custody or visitation change is based solely on the fact
that the child is allowed unsupervised contact with a person
required, as a result of a felony conviction in which the victim was
a minor, to register as a sex offender under Section 290 of the Penal
Code and does not affect the court's ability to remove a child upon
an ex parte motion when there is a showing of immediate harm to the
child.

3031.  (a) Where the court considers the issue of custody or
visitation the court is encouraged to make a reasonable effort to
ascertain whether or not any emergency protective order, protective
order, or other restraining order is in effect that concerns the
parties or the minor. The court is encouraged not to make a custody
or visitation order that is inconsistent with the emergency
protective order, protective order, or other restraining order,
unless the court makes both of the following findings:
   (1) The custody or visitation order cannot be made consistent with
the emergency protective order, protective order, or other
restraining order.
   (2) The custody or visitation order is in the best interest of the
minor.
   (b) Whenever custody or visitation is granted to a parent in a
case in which domestic violence is alleged and an emergency
protective order, protective order, or other restraining order has
been issued, the custody or visitation order shall specify the time,
day, place, and manner of transfer of the child for custody or
visitation to limit the child's exposure to potential domestic
conflict or violence and to ensure the safety of all family members.
Where the court finds a party is staying in a place designated as a
shelter for victims of domestic violence or other confidential
location, the court's order for time, day, place, and manner of
transfer of the child for custody or visitation shall be designed to
prevent disclosure of the location of the shelter or other
confidential location.
   (c) When making an order for custody or visitation in a case in
which domestic violence is alleged and an emergency protective order,
protective order, or other restraining order has been issued, the
court shall consider whether the best interest of the child, based
upon the circumstances of the case, requires that any custody or
visitation arrangement shall be limited to situations in which a
third person, specified by the court, is present, or whether custody
or visitation shall be suspended or denied.

3032.  (a) The Judicial Council shall establish a state-funded
one-year pilot project beginning July 1, 1999, in at least two
counties, including Los Angeles County, pursuant to which, in any
child custody proceeding, including mediation proceedings pursuant to
Section 3170, any action or proceeding under Division 10 (commencing
with Section 6200), any action or proceeding under the Uniform
Parentage Act (Part 3 (commencing with Section 7600) of Division 12),
and any proceeding for dissolution or nullity of marriage or legal
separation of the parties in which a protective order as been granted
or is being sought pursuant to Section 6221, the court shall,
notwithstanding Section 68092 of the Government Code, appoint an
interpreter to interpret the proceedings at court expense, if both of
the following conditions are met:
   (1) One or both of the parties is unable to participate fully in
the proceeding due to a lack of proficiency in the English language.
   (2) The party who needs an interpreter appears in forma pauperis,
pursuant to Section 68511.3 of the Government Code, or the court
otherwise determines that the parties are financially unable to pay
the cost of an interpreter. In all other cases where an interpreter
is required pursuant to this section, interpreter fees shall be paid
as provided in Section 68092 of the Government Code.
   (3) This section shall not prohibit the court doing any of the
following when an interpreter is not present:
   (A) Issuing an order when the necessity for the order outweighs
the necessity for an interpreter.
   (B) Extending the duration of a previously issued temporary order
if an interpreter is not readily available.
   (C) Issuing a permanent order where a party who requires an
interpreter fails to make appropriate arrangements for an interpreter
after receiving proper notice of the hearing, including notice of
the requirement to have an interpreter present, along with
information about obtaining an interpreter.
   (b) The Judicial Council shall submit its findings and
recommendations with respect to the pilot project to the Legislature
by January 31, 2001. Measurable objectives of the program may include
increased utilization of the court by parties not fluent in English,
increased efficiency in proceedings, increased compliance with
orders, enhanced coordination between courts and culturally relevant
services in the community, increased client satisfaction, and
increased public satisfaction.