Our Courts - Contra Costa County Bar Association

Year in Review
Family Law,
cont. from page 17
in part as a family law settlement
judge and in part as an overflow
criminal department.
There are many other changes
coming. One of the most devastating
is the upcoming loss of part of
our court family - court reporters.
Until further notice, beginning January
2, 2013, parties desiring a transcript
will be required to arrange
for private reporting services for all
short and long cause matters, excluding
those heard in the AB 1058
department.
In addition, effective November
12, 2012, the Clerk’s office will shorten
its closing time from 3:00 p.m. to
1:00 p.m., with exceptions for temporary
restraining orders and other
emergency matters which may be
filed up to 3:00 p.m. Self-help services
will follow the reduced 1:00
p.m. schedule and workshops for
self-represented litigants will be cut
back.
Given reduced staffing levels, we
will eliminate Domestic Violence
Restraining Order (DVRO) filings at
the Richmond Courthouse beginning
on a date to be determined.
The Family Law Division will most
likely take on the DVRO’s and Civil
Harassment hearings that had previously
been heard in Concord and
Walnut Creek. We anticipate that
interpreters in DVRO cases will
continue, using one-time Court Reserves
this fiscal year, until an ongoing
funding source can be identified.
The staff of the family law division
has been working tirelessly
to implement this dramatic transformation.
Needless to say, many
of these changes are a work-inprogress
and details will have to be
ironed out in the future. We ask for
the Bar’s patience as we implement
these changes.
The long tradition of positive
Bench-Bar relations continues unabated.
On behalf of the family law
bench, I want to express our gratitude
for the Bar’s impressive volunteer
services for the Court and its
ongoing willingness to collaborate.
We’ll need it next year. s
18
NovemBER 2012