Family Resolution Conference Hearings

San Diego Family Law Attorneys

In California family law cases, primarily including divorce matters, parties have to appear before the court at various times to update the court on the status of the case.  Different counties throughout California have different names, requirements and procedures for these status update hearings.  In San Diego County, these hearings were formerly called “Status Conferences” and then called “Case Management Conferences.”  Currently, they are called “Family Resolution Conferences,” or “FRC” for short.

These meetings at court can be a waste of time, or they can be very productive.  The first FRC is scheduled automatically upon the filing of a petition for dissolution of marriage, approximately six months out.  These status hearings are a good opportunity for counsel to meet about the case and discuss what steps need to be taken to reach a settlement.

What is a Family Resolution Conference?

A Family Resolution Conference is where the parties or their attorneys meet with the judge or commissioner assigned to their case and inform the court of the timetable for resolution of their case. The parties or their representatives will inform the judge of what documents have been filed with the court or exchanged between the parties and what still needs to be done in the case.  The judge will want to know what discovery still needs to be done, including whether depositions are necessary, what documents still need to be exchanged, and so forth.

The court may then  set future court dates for appearances including a Mandatory Settlement Conference or even Trial.

The partners at Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP are Certified Family Law Specialists and have experience with all kinds of family law hearings.  Our San Diego divorce attorneys have handled thousands of these hearings.  If you need an attorney to assist you with your family law matter and attend your case management conference, please call our office at (619) 284-4113 to  set up your consultation with one of our skilled attorneys.