Los Angeles Superior Court Launches Child Custody Recommending Counseling Pilot Program
The Los Angeles Superior Court has implemented a significant change to the way certain contested child custody and visitation matters will be handled at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
Effective August 25, 2026, the Court established a Child Custody Recommending Counseling (“CCRC”) Pilot Program for certain dissolution cases involving minor children. Unlike Los Angeles County’s traditional non-recommending mediation model, the new pilot program permits a Family Court Services specialist to provide the Court with a written report and recommendations regarding child custody and visitation when parents are unable to reach an agreement.
For parents involved in contested custody proceedings in Los Angeles, this represents an important procedural change. And, for individuals navigating divorce and custody proceedings, an experienced Los Angeles family lawyer can help determine how these new procedures may affect their case.
Who Is Subject to the New CCRC Pilot Program?
The pilot program does not apply to every Los Angeles County custody case.
Under the Court’s General Order, the program applies to dissolution proceedings filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse that:
- involve children;
- have a contested child custody or visitation dispute; and
- have no prior child custody or visitation orders.
This limitation is important. Parents with existing custody or visitation orders are not automatically subject to the pilot program merely because a subsequent custody dispute arises.
How Does Child Custody Recommending Counseling Work?
The process begins with the court-connected mediation that Los Angeles family law litigants are accustomed to.
The parties first participate in mediation with a Family Court Services (“FCS”) Specialist under Los Angeles County Superior Court Local Rule 5.19.
If the parents reach a full agreement regarding custody and visitation, the recommending-counseling process is unnecessary.
If they do not reach a full agreement, however, the parties must participate in a CCRC session pursuant to Family Code § 3183. Importantly, the FCS Specialist conducting the CCRC will be different from the specialist who conducted the initial mediation.
That distinction preserves the confidential nature of the initial mediation while allowing a different specialist to evaluate the unresolved custody issues.
The CCRC Specialist Can Make Recommendations to the Judge
This is the most significant aspect of the new program.
During the CCRC process, the specialist may interview the parents, consider their respective positions regarding custody and visitation, and consider certain additional information when necessary.
Where a significant concern affects a child’s health, safety, or welfare, the specialist may consider collateral information including relevant criminal histories, contacts with the Department of Children and Family Services or Child Protective Services, non-party witnesses, and even the children.
The specialist then prepares a report containing the basis for the recommended custody or visitation plan.
The recommendations are to focus on the child’s best interests, including:
- child safety and stability;
- developmentally appropriate parenting arrangements;
- continuity in schooling and healthcare;
- reducing children’s exposure to parental conflict; and
- applicable statutory presumptions and public policy.
The Court Can Consider the CCRC Recommendation
Parents should understand that the CCRC recommendation can have a meaningful impact on their custody case.
The report and recommendations must be provided to the parties, their attorneys, and the Court at least 10 calendar days before the custody or visitation proceeding.
A party who has evidentiary objections to the report must make those objections in writing at least five calendar days before the hearing. If the objections reference the contents of the confidential report, the appropriate confidential report coversheet must be used and the objection filed under seal.
Perhaps most importantly:
If timely objections are not filed, the objections are deemed waived.
The Court may then consider the CCRC report at the custody hearing and may use the recommendation as the basis for its custody or visitation order.
That makes careful preparation for the CCRC process particularly important.
Is the CCRC Recommendation Binding on the Judge?
No.
The judicial officer retains the authority to adopt, modify, or reject the FCS Specialist’s recommendations. The Court also retains authority to conduct evidentiary hearings, issue temporary emergency orders, appoint minor’s counsel, order Evidence Code § 730 evaluations, and refer the family to additional services.
The CCRC recommendation can therefore be influential, but it does not replace the Court’s independent authority to determine custody and visitation based upon the child’s best interests.
Are CCRC Reports Confidential?
The rules are somewhat different from traditional confidential mediation.
The CCRC report is non-confidential as between the specialist, Court, parties, and their attorneys, but remains confidential from the public.
The General Order specifically prohibits parties and attorneys from attaching or materially referring to CCRC reports in public filings. Improper disclosure may result in monetary sanctions, including attorney’s fees and costs.
Attorneys and litigants therefore need to exercise particular care when addressing a CCRC report in pleadings filed with the Court.
Can a Parent Challenge the CCRC Specialist?
A specialist may be challenged for cause based on circumstances such as a personal relationship with a party or child, a conflict of interest, or another reason affecting the specialist’s ability to perform the assignment fairly and impartially.
However, peremptory challenges are not permitted. Once the CCRC report and recommendation have been filed and served, a challenge to the specialist must be raised through a Request for Order in the family law proceeding.
What Does the New CCRC Program Mean for Los Angeles Custody Cases?
For cases falling within the pilot program, Family Court Services may now play a substantially greater role in the outcome of an initial custody dispute.
Under the traditional mediation model, parents may approach mediation primarily as an opportunity to determine whether an agreement can be reached. Under the new CCRC pilot program, if mediation fails, a different FCS Specialist can evaluate the dispute and make recommendations that may ultimately be considered by the judicial officer.
That means parents should take the process seriously and be prepared to clearly and appropriately present the facts relevant to the children’s best interests.
The Court expressly identified high-conflict disputes and concerns involving domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health, refuse-and-resist behaviors, child safety, relocation, and chronic noncompliance with prior court orders as circumstances demonstrating the need for differing levels of intervention in custody matters.
Speak With a Los Angeles Child Custody Attorney
Child custody disputes can have lasting consequences for both parents and children. The new CCRC pilot program adds another important consideration for parents litigating initial custody and visitation issues at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
Atighechi Law Group represents clients in complex and contested family law matters throughout Los Angeles County. If you are facing a custody dispute, an experienced Los Angeles child custody attorney can help you understand the process, prepare for custody proceedings, and protect your rights.