Hon. Peter Chang

Information about COPE Family Support Services, including schedule of classes offered, contact information, and enrollment information, are available at https://copefamilysupport.org.

A courtesy copy of any pleadings filed within 5 court days of a hearing should be dropped off in Dept. 7’s mailbox located upstairs next to the elevator to ensure it would be considered for the hearing.

Do not email courtesy copies to the department unless the court has requested it.

If any matter is resolved prior to the parties’ court appearance, the parties may email the department with a joint written request to vacate the court appearance. Appearances are required unless the parties receive an email reply that the request to vacate was received and approved by the court. 

No other requests, briefs, documents, reports may be emailed unless the court explicitly grants permission,  If the Court has granted permission, the words, “by court permission” should be included in the subject line.

Do not email courtesy copies of filings.  Instead, drop them in Dept. 7’s mailbox inside the courthouse.

Be precise, clear and concise in the relief requested. All requests must be contained in your Request for Order (FL –300).  Requests in the declarations will not be considered by the court. The court will not consider supplemental filings absent good cause.  The trio of documents the court considers are the RFO, the RESPONSE (FL-320) and the REPLY only.

The court will not consider late filed pleadings, declarations or exhibits.

Department 7 permits exhibits to declarations or memoranda to exceed 10 pages without leave of court.  However, exhibits exceeding 10 pages must have (1) an exhibit list and (2) specific pages of the exhibits that the party would like the court to consider pin cited in the declaration or memoranda.  Pages of the exhibits not pin cited in the declaration or memoranda may not be considered by the court. 

If AI is used to prepare any filings in any way (including for legal research), that fact must be disclosed in the filing itself.

Dept. 7’s Standard Pre-Trial Order may be downloaded here /media/2612

Represented parties must comply with Local Rule 5.7.

Self-represented parties must complete the settlement conference worksheet, serve it on the other party, and bring it to court for the settlement conference.  The worksheet may be downloaded here /media/2613.

Parties are required to appear in person UNLESS both parties agree to appear by Zoom.  If parties agree to appear by Zoom, parties must notify the court by a joint email at least 1 day in advance of the settlement conference. 

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For short-cause matters, parties may appear in person or remotely over Zoom. Parties do not need to submit written requests to appear remotely. Remote appearances require the party to appear by both audio and video means. 

Court may require in-person appearances should technical difficulties emerge.

Observers on Zoom should state “Observer” as screen name. No witnesses to pending matters or minors whose parents are in court may observe.

In-person appearance is required for long cause, domestic violence hearings, trials, contempt hearings, and other evidentiary hearings. 

Dept. 7 will accept SIGNED written stipulations and proposed orders for consideration. This must be a stand-alone document. 

NON-CLETS stipulated restraining orders WILL NOT be accepted.  Non-CLETS restraining orders are not permitted under the Family Code.  (See In re Marriage of Reichental (2021) 73 Cal.App.5th 396, 405 [holding that the process of reporting a DVRO and entering its contents in CLETS is described in Family Code section 6380 in mandatory, not discretionary terms]; Fam Code, § 6380, subd. (j).)

Parties must submit, with the Stipulation, an Amended DV -110 (TRO), Amended DV -140 (if applicable), or an Amended DV -130 (ROAH). The three forms MUST state the terms of the Stipulation (in other words, the forms cannot merely reference the Stipulation). Stipulations are subject to court review and order and, if applicable, findings pursuant to FC Section 3044.