The Family Facilitator’s Office can be useful for parties with legal issues who cannot afford a family law attorney to handle their child support, spousal support, and health insurance issues. While it is always best to hire an experienced, aggressive family law attorney to help you with your family law issues, indigent parties should locate the Family Law Facilitator’s Office in their local county, as every County is mandated to have such an office under the Family Code. In fact, Family Code § 10001(a) states:
“The Legislature finds and declares the following: (1) Child and spousal support are serious legal obligations. The entry of a child support order is frequently delayed while parents engage in protracted litigation concerning custody and visitation. The current system for obtaining child and spousal support orders is suffering because the family courts are unduly burdened with heavy case loads and do not have sufficient personnel to meet increased demands on the courts. (2) Reports to the Legislature regarding the family law pilot projects in the Superior Courts of the Counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo indicate that the pilot projects have provided a cost-effective and efficient method for the courts to process family law cases that involve unrepresented litigants with issues concerning child support, spousal support, and health insurance. (3) The reports to the Legislature further indicate that the pilot projects in both counties have been successful in making the process of obtaining court orders concerning child support, spousal support, and health insurance more accessible to unrepresented parties. Surveys conducted by both counties indicate a high degree of satisfaction with the services provided by the pilot projects. (4) There is a compelling state interest in having a speedy, conflict-reducing system for resolving issues of child support, spousal support, and health insurance that is cost-effective and accessible to families that cannot afford legal representation.”
Also, Family Code § 10001(b) states:
“Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to make the services provided in the family law pilot projects in the Counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo available to unrepresented parties in the superior courts of all California counties.
Lastly, Family Code § 10002 states:
“Each superior court shall maintain an office of the family law facilitator. The office of the family law facilitator shall be staffed by an attorney licensed to practice law in this state who has mediation or litigation experience, or both, in the field of family law. The family law facilitator shall be appointed by the superior court.”
We hope that the information in this blog gives you some helpful insight into the Family Law Facilitator’s Office. However, if you or a loved one needs assistance with any type of family law matter, call Wallin and Klarich first, as there is a lot at stake and hiring an experienced family law attorney is always the best option. Wallin and Klarich has a team of highly skilled, aggressive family law attorneys ready to take your call 7 days week, 24 hours a day! Wallin and Klarich has been in the business of helping people with their family law matters for over 30 years and we would like to help you with yours! A qualified, experienced attorney from the firm will be able to evaluate your case when you call.
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