CaliforniaMediation: child custody and visitation.
What it does
Existing law requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including the nature and amount of contact with both parents and, consistent with specified findings, requires the court's primary concern to be the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Existing law requires a court to set the contested issues for mediation when it appears on the face of a petition, application, or other pleading to obtain or modify a temporary or permanent custody or visitation order that custody, visitation, or both are contested. Existing law requires notice of mediation to be given to each party, and where a stepparent or grandparent seeks visitation rights, to the stepparent or grandparent seeking visitation rights, to each parent of the child, and to each parent's counsel of record.
More detail
Existing law requires notice to be given by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to the last known address.
This bill would require all parties to be given written notice of mediation, including, among others, by court staff when all parties are present for a court hearing. The bill would require the court to develop a notice of mediation that includes that all communications between the mediator and the disputing parties are required to be confidential and, if there has been a history of domestic violence between the parties or a protective order is in effect, that the mediator is required to meet with the parties separately and at separate times at the request of the party alleging domestic violence, as specified.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Aug 22Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 118, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Aug 22Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 10Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 3Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 6031.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 2789 Judiciary Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 25In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded Consent Calendar 2nd AB2789 JUD. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 25Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 5015.).Passed Senate
- Jun 23Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jun 22From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jun 11Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jun 10From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 9).Major
- Jun 9
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- May 27Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- May 14In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 2789 Judiciary Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- May 14Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5057.)Passed Assembly
- May 7Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- May 6From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 23Referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Mar 17From printer. May be heard in committee April 16.
- Mar 16Read first time. To print.Introduced