Family Lawyer in California: The Law and the Roll

A family lawyer in California handles matters governed by the California Family Code: divorce (called dissolution), legal separation, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, division of community property, and domestic violence restraining orders. Anyone who represents you in these matters must be an active licensee of the State Bar of California. This page explains what the law says and where the public record shows who is licensed to do the work.

What does a family lawyer handle under California law?

California family law is largely set out in the Family Code, which covers the formation and ending of marriage and domestic partnerships, parentage, and the financial and custodial arrangements that follow. A family lawyer's work maps to those statutes rather than to any single kind of case.

Common areas include:

• Dissolution and legal separation. Ending a marriage or registered domestic partnership, including the six-month waiting period in Family Code section 2339.
• Child custody and visitation. Legal and physical custody decisions, guided by the best-interest standard in Family Code section 3011.
• Child support. Calculated using the statewide guideline formula in Family Code section 4055.
• Spousal support. Temporary and long-term support, with factors listed in Family Code section 4320.
• Property division. Sorting community from separate property, since California is a community property state.
• Domestic violence. Restraining orders under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, beginning at Family Code section 6200.

Some attorneys concentrate in one of these areas; others handle the full range. The public record shows who is licensed, not who concentrates where, so descriptions of focus come from the attorney, not from the State Bar roll.

Is California a no-fault, community property state?

Yes on both counts. Under Family Code section 2310, a dissolution can be granted for irreconcilable differences, so no spouse has to prove the other did something wrong. This shapes how divorce cases proceed.

California is also a community property state. Family Code section 760 defines community property as, generally, all property acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in the state. Family Code section 770 defines separate property, which includes property owned before marriage and gifts or inheritances received during it. At dissolution, community property is generally divided equally, though the characterization of specific assets can be complex and fact-dependent. How these rules apply to any particular household depends on facts this page cannot assess.

How custody and support are decided

Custody in California turns on the best interest of the child. Section 3011 lists factors a court considers, including the child's health, safety, and welfare, and any history of abuse. The Family Code expresses a policy of frequent and continuing contact with both parents where consistent with the child's welfare. Courts distinguish legal custody (decision-making authority) from physical custody (where the child lives), and either can be joint or sole.

Child support uses a statewide guideline formula under section 4055 that accounts for each parent's income and time with the child. Spousal support divides into temporary support during the case and longer-term support after judgment, weighed against the factors in section 4320.

As of September 2026, California family law is governed by the California Family Code, which makes the state no-fault for divorce (Family Code section 2310) and a community property jurisdiction (Family Code section 760). A dissolution judgment cannot be entered sooner than six months after the respondent is served or appears (Family Code section 2339). Child custody follows the best-interest standard in Family Code section 3011, and child support uses the statewide guideline formula in Family Code section 4055. Anyone practicing family law in California must be an active State Bar licensee under Business and Professions Code section 6125. This passage states general legal information for California only. It does not calculate any support amount, predict any custody or property outcome, or apply these statutes to an individual case, and support and property results vary with the facts of each household.

How much does a family lawyer cost in California?

Costs vary widely by matter, county, and how much is contested, so no single figure applies. Family lawyers in California commonly bill by the hour and may ask for a retainer paid in advance, while some offer flat fees for uncontested matters. The public roll does not publish fees.

California law does regulate the fee relationship. Business and Professions Code section 6148 generally requires a written fee agreement when total expense to the client will likely exceed a threshold set by statute. In family cases, courts can also order one spouse to contribute to the other's attorney fees to level access to representation under Family Code section 2030, based on need and ability to pay. For a broader overview of fee structures, see our reference on what to bring to a first meeting and the general Answers library.

Where the public record shows who is licensed

Under Business and Professions Code section 6125, no person may practice law in California unless an active member of the State Bar. The State Bar maintains the official roll, which reports each attorney's license status, the date admitted, and any public record of discipline.

California Attorney Registry is an independent index of that public roll. It lets you look up an attorney by name and see license status sourced from the official record, with each fact marked by where it came from. The registry issues no ratings, rankings, or scores, and it operates no referral service. The record can tell you whether someone is licensed and in good standing; it cannot tell you whether a given lawyer fits your matter.

What the public record can and cannot show:

You can browse licensed attorneys who list family law among their areas, and confirm status through the attorney directory.

This is general legal information, not legal advice, and it does not apply these statutes to your situation. To confirm license status or start a name lookup on the public roll, reach out to California Attorney Registry. We index the record so you can read it for yourself.