Sacramento County Family Court

Sacramento County Family Court handles divorce, parentage, child custody, visitation, support, and other family-related matters. This article explains which court services handle different needs, how to get help with forms, where to search for case information and records, and how to prepare for mediation or a hearing. It also covers online account requirements, remote appearances, interpreter requests, and practical arrangements for visiting the courthouse.

Cases Handled by Family Court

The Sacramento Superior Court’s Family Court division handles divorce or dissolution, legal separation, parentage, child custody and visitation, support, domestic violence and elder abuse, emancipation, and underage marriage. Mediation services are available to help parents resolve disagreements over custody and parenting time.

Adoption cases are handled by the Probate Court. Although the Family Law and Probate divisions share the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse, they have different responsibilities. A shared building does not mean that every family-related filing belongs in the Family Law division.

The service you need also depends on your immediate task. The Self-Help Center assists with forms and procedural questions. Family Court Services handles custody mediation and related evaluations. Public Case Access provides limited public case information and certain documents for enrolled participants. Records requests follow separate procedures based on the file’s location and any confidentiality restrictions.

Free Help With Forms and Procedures

The Family Law and Probate Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator’s Office provides free assistance to people without an attorney who have cases in Sacramento County or reside in the county. Staff can provide legal and procedural information, supply forms, answer most questions about family law procedures, and review most completed forms.

Assistance covers divorce, legal separation, nullity, parentage, custody and visitation, child support, domestic violence, and elder abuse. The office also assists with child support matters involving the Department of Child Support Services. Staff do not provide legal advice, legal strategy, or attorney representation.

In-person assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and scheduled appointments are also offered. Remote assistance includes a Virtual Front Counter, workshops, and secure electronic correspondence. Walk-in waiting times vary, so a scheduled appointment may help you plan your visit.

Self-help services are available Monday through Thursday during morning and afternoon periods and Friday mornings. The courthouse location page identifies morning hours as 8:30 a.m. to noon and Monday through Thursday afternoon hours as 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Staffing can affect availability, and the center closes on court holidays. Building access hours are broader than self-help service hours.

Secure Messages Through e-Correspondence

The Self-Help Center’s e-Correspondence system lets people representing themselves exchange secure messages with staff about family law and probate matters. It is a separate service from viewing case documents through Public Case Access.

When registering, use the email address already registered with the Self-Help Center. If no email address is registered and you have an existing Sacramento Superior Court case, the system directs you to use an email address containing your full name as it appears in the case caption. If you have no open case, use an email address containing your full name.

An email address that does not contain your full name or match the address registered in Public Case Access may require correction or replacement before you can use the service. Assistance with registration is available in person or through the Virtual Front Counter on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. e-Correspondence cannot be used to check the status of filed documents.

Custody Agreements and Mediation

Parents with an established Sacramento County Family Law case can receive free services from Family Court Services. Its services include Confidential Mediation and Child Custody Recommending Counseling, often abbreviated CCRC. Experienced Family Court Counselors, also called mediators, provide these services.

The appropriate process depends on whether the parents already agree, want assistance reaching an agreement, or need a hearing to obtain custody orders. These options serve different purposes, so requesting mediation should not be treated as the same step as requesting a court hearing.

When Both Parents Already Agree

If you have an existing Sacramento County court case and both parties agree on establishing or changing custody and visitation orders, the Self-Help Center identifies a Stipulation and Order as an available process. Parenting plan agreement forms can be obtained in person or through e-Correspondence.

Explain that you already have a case and that both parties agree when requesting the packet. This helps staff direct you to the agreement materials rather than the packet used to request a contested hearing.

Confidential Mediation Without a Hearing

Confidential Mediation gives both parties an opportunity to work with a court mediator toward a custody and visitation agreement. In this process, the mediator makes no recommendation to the court, and no hearing is scheduled for the court to make orders.

The Self-Help Center can provide information and the forms needed to request Confidential Mediation, either in person or through e-Correspondence. This process is distinct from asking a judge to decide a custody dispute.

Requests for Custody Court Orders

If you want a hearing and Family Court Services mediation to establish or modify custody and visitation orders, the Self-Help Center can provide a Request for Order packet. You may obtain it in person or through e-Correspondence.

Keep your mediation appointment information separate from your court hearing information. The court provides a Family Court Services Appointment Search that searches by scheduled appointment date. For a remote mediation appointment, refer to the Notice of Mediation packet sent by U.S. mail rather than choosing a courtroom’s remote appearance connection.

Confidentiality and Safety Disclosures

Family Court Services describes its services as confidential, with legally required safety exceptions. A mediator who suspects child abuse or neglect will report the concern to Child Protective Services or a law enforcement agency. If the mediator believes someone involved may harm themselves or another person, the mediator will contact law enforcement and warn the threatened person.

Concerns about your experience with the service may be directed to the Family Court Services Manager. Feedback does not result in a new mediation.

Online Case Access and Enrollment

The Family Law Public Case Access system provides limited case information to the public. Parties and attorneys of record can also use it to view Family Court Services mediation reports, Findings and Orders After Hearing, and Minute Orders when their accounts have the required case access.

Creating an account alone does not give a party access to case documents. You need both a Public Case Access account and a participant subscription for each case you want to access.

Enrollment Requirements for Parties

A party must submit a Family Law Case Participant Enrollment Form for a party, together with a copy of government-issued identification. The court accepts the materials by mail, through the Family Court drop box, or at the clerk’s counter after obtaining a service ticket.

A separate enrollment form is required for each case. Another form is also required when your email address changes. Processing takes about three working days, after which the court sends an email confirming access.

Once enrolled, you can receive email notifications when new documents are added and view or download those newly added documents free of charge. If a case does not appear under your subscriptions, possible reasons include a missing subscription, an enrollment form still awaiting processing, or a deficient form being returned without processing.

Access for Attorneys of Record

Attorneys must have a Public Case Access account. For cases filed after January 1, 2015, the court automatically links attorneys to their cases. For cases filed before that date, attorneys must submit the attorney-of-record enrollment form. That form is also used to unsubscribe from a case.

The attorney form may be submitted by mail, through the Family Court drop box, or at the clerk’s counter with a service ticket. The court describes processing as taking about three working days, with email confirmation afterward.

Reports and Orders Before Your Hearing

After signing in, select “Your Account,” then “Your Case Subscriptions.” Choose “View” for the appropriate case, followed by “View” for the document. Documents are provided in PDF format and can be saved or printed.

Mediation reports are typically added five days before the hearing. The court requires you to bring a copy of your mediation report to the hearing. Findings and Orders After Hearing and Minute Orders are typically posted within two hours after the hearing. These are typical posting times, so plan account enrollment early enough to allow for processing before you need a report.

Family Court Records and Copies

Most Family Law records are public unless a law makes them confidential or the court seals them. The Family Court records instructions explain access restrictions and the different procedures for files stored at the courthouse and off-site.

If you do not know the case number, you can search Public Case Access or use the public kiosk in room 102 at the courthouse. A service ticket is not required to use that kiosk. Locate the case number before completing a file request, since the request form requires it.

Confidential Cases and Individual Documents

Uniform Parentage Act cases filed before January 1, 2023, and petitions involving assisted reproduction are confidential by law. Access is limited to the parties named in the cases and their attorneys of record. A party to a parentage case may authorize someone else to view and copy the file by providing written consent and a copy of valid state- or federally issued photo identification.

Individual documents can also be confidential even when other portions of a case are public. Examples include mediation reports, drug test results, and psychological evaluations. Those documents may be viewed and copied only by the parties or their attorneys of record.

The court accepts unexpired identification such as a driver license, passport, U.S. Resident’s Card, state-issued identification card, military identification, or voter identification. A public case search does not override restrictions on confidential files or documents.

Files Stored at the Courthouse

The court identifies files with case numbers beginning 16FL through 26FL, 23DV through 26DV, and 19FS through 26FS as stored at the courthouse. Records filed between 1937 and 1974 are stored digitally at the courthouse.

For these records, you may ask a clerk to make copies in person. You may also submit a Request for Copies of Family Law Records by mail or place it in the courthouse drop box. These copy requests are separate from enrolling in online participant access.

Off-Site and Other Record Locations

Other Family Law files covered by the court’s off-site procedure can be requested through the Family Law case file request form. All fields are required: case number, party last name or names, your full name, and your email address.

Delivery from off-site storage to the courthouse may take up to seven days. The court emails you when the file is available, and you can then ask a clerk to make copies. A mailed or drop-box Request for Copies of Family Law Records is another available method.

The online file request form does not apply to every file. Records filed before 1937 are held by the Center for Sacramento History. Adoption and termination of parental rights records follow Probate procedures.

Hearing Calendars and Remote Appearances

The Family Law calendar search requires a department and hearing date. Have both details ready before searching. This calendar serves a different purpose from the mediation appointment search, which searches by appointment date.

Parties and attorneys may ask to appear remotely under the court’s Family and Probate remote appearance procedures. The court directs participants to file and serve Notice of Remote Appearance, form RA-010, as soon as possible before the proceeding.

For the specified evidentiary hearings and trials, an objection to a remote appearance uses Opposition to Remote Proceeding at Evidentiary Hearing or Trial, form RA-015. The court’s instructions address trials and witnesses at trial, contempt, default judgment, domestic violence or elder abuse restraining orders, and termination of parental rights proceedings. The court resolves the opposition through Order Regarding Remote Appearance, form RA-020. If an order is not received beforehand, the court states its order at trial.

Connecting to the Correct Department

The remote appearance page provides separate connections and meeting IDs for departments 120 through 135. Select the department assigned to your proceeding. A connection for another department will not place you in the correct courtroom.

Allow at least 15 to 20 minutes to download and test the application before the hearing. Enter your first and last name as they appear in your court case, and read the waiting room instructions. A telephone appearance alternative is also provided on the court’s page, using the meeting ID for the assigned department.

Interpreter Requests for Hearings

The court’s Family Law and Probate interpreter request form is available for hearings and trials. Gather the proceeding details before completing it so the request identifies the correct case, department, and person needing assistance.

The required fields are your full name, phone number, email address, case number, the name of the party needing an interpreter, the date and time of the proceeding, the department number, and the language needed. The form also requires a CAPTCHA before review and submission.

Visiting the Family Relations Courthouse

The William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse houses Family Law, Probate, Family Court Services, the Self-Help Center, and the Family Law Facilitator’s Office. Departments 120 through 135 are located there. Building hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding court holidays; business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Parking and Shuttle Transportation

Visitor parking is in the lot east of the courthouse. Parking costs $2 for the first two hours and $1 for each additional hour, up to $8 per day. Remember your vehicle’s license plate number because the payment kiosks require it.

Kiosks accept coins and credit cards, but not dollar bills. They are located near the parking lot exit to Ramona Avenue, next to the elevators, and inside the courthouse near the public restrooms on the first and third floors. Disabled parking spaces in the city lot are still subject to parking fees. The passenger drop-off area is on the building’s east side in the white-striped zone.

A free shuttle runs between the Power Inn Light Rail Station and the courthouse Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pickups and drop-offs occur approximately every 15 minutes in front of each building and at the centrally located stop in the lower parking lot.

Children’s Waiting Room Restrictions

A children’s waiting room is located in room 111 on the first floor. It operates Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to noon and 12:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Services are available for children ages 1 through 12.

Children age 3 or older must be toilet-trained. Space is limited for children younger than 2½ who are not toilet-trained, and parents must supply diapers for their infants. The service is not available to support people, witnesses, or people accompanying parents or guardians.

Family Court Offices

William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
3341 Power Inn Road
Sacramento, CA 95826
(916) 875-3400, Option 1

Family Law and Probate Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator’s Office
William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
Third Floor, Room 314

Family Court Services
William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
(916) 875-2600