Child Custody and Visitation in Inyo County, California

Custody cases in Inyo County are usually filed and heard at the Bishop Courthouse, 301 West Line Street. This is the primary family law location for the Superior Court of California, County of Inyo. The Independence Courthouse also handles family law matters for the county seat area. Inyo County runs along the eastern Sierra Nevada, so confirm which courthouse applies before you travel, especially if you are coming from Bishop, Lone Pine, or Independence.

A custody request is part of a divorce, a legal separation, or a parentage case for parents who were never married. After the case is open, either parent can ask for custody and visitation orders using Form FL-300, Request for Order, with the FL-311 attachment. Under Family Code section 3011, the judge must decide based on the best interest of the child. The judge looks at factors such as each parent's ability to provide a stable home and cannot favor either parent's gender.

Inyo County uses a two-stage mediation model under Local Rule 7.4. The first mediation session is confidential. That means the mediator cannot recommend a custody outcome, but the mediator can raise the need for a custody evaluation or separate representation for the child. If that confidential session does not settle the dispute, the court may order a second, non-confidential round of mediation with a different mediator. That mediator can submit an actual recommendation to the judge under Family Code section 3183. Before any mediation, all parties must contact the Family Law Facilitator to complete intake, a pre-mediation orientation, and a domestic violence assessment.

Inyo County accepts e-filing 24 hours a day through approved Electronic Filing Service Providers. Self-represented parties may still file paper documents at either courthouse.

Where custody cases are heard in Inyo County

Custody and visitation matters in Inyo County are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Inyo, with the county seat in Independence. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local Family Court Services or Child Custody Recommending Counseling programs change over time and can differ between branches, use the official California Courts court finder to confirm the current details for your case:

Find the Inyo County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

How custody is decided in California

California uses the same statewide rules in every county, including Inyo County. Custody has two parts: legal custody (who makes major decisions about health, education, and welfare) and physical custody (where the child lives). Either can be joint (shared) or sole (one parent). Judges decide custody based on the best interest of the child, and California law does not favor a parent based on gender.

You can ask for custody orders inside a divorce or legal separation case, or, if the parents were never married, by first establishing parentage. The core steps are:

1. Open or use an existing case: a divorce (Form FL-100), a legal separation, or a parentage case (Form FL-200) for unmarried parents.
2. File a Request for Order (Form FL-300) with the custody and visitation attachment (Form FL-311) to ask the court for orders.
3. Serve the other parent and file a proof of service.
4. Attend the mandatory child custody mediation (Family Court Services), which California requires before a contested custody hearing.
5. Attend the hearing if you have not agreed, and receive the court's order (Form FL-341 series, Findings and Order After Hearing on Form FL-340).

There is no six-month waiting period for custody the way there is for a divorce to become final. Parents can also agree on a parenting plan and submit it as a stipulation for the judge to sign, which avoids a contested hearing entirely. If you and the other parent agree, that is almost always the faster and less costly path in Inyo County.

Local notes for Inyo County

Inyo County has two courthouse locations, Bishop and Independence. Confirm which one handles your custody filing and hearing before you travel. The court's locations page and the clerk's office at (760) 872-3038 can direct you.

Inyo's mediation process starts as confidential and may move to a second stage. Allow time for the required intake, orientation, and domestic violence screening with the Family Law Facilitator before your first mediation session. That step happens before either round of mediation. If the first confidential session does not resolve custody, ask the court how the second, non-confidential session works, since a different mediator handles that stage.

The Family Law Facilitator, Sharon Allred Remley, is available at the Bishop location Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The facilitator mainly helps with support-related paperwork rather than custody advice. If domestic violence is part of your situation, Local Rule 7.4 gives parties the right to ask for separate mediation sessions and a DV assessment before mediation begins. A DV restraining order, Forms DV-100 and DV-110, can include temporary custody terms. Call 911 in an emergency. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is available 24 hours a day.

Official custody resources in Inyo County

Bishop Courthouse (primary family law location for Inyo County Superior Court) handles custody filings, located at 301 West Line Street, Bishop 93514. Phone: (760) 872-3038. Independence Courthouse at 168 North Edwards Street handles Also serves family law filings for the county seat area; contact the court to confirm which location applies to your case.

The filing fee is $60. E-filing is available. Inyo County accepts e-filing through approved Electronic Filing Service Providers, available 24/7. E-filing is optional; self-represented parties may still file on paper at the Bishop or Independence courthouse.

Inyo County Self-Help Center (https://www.inyo.courts.ca.gov/self-help/self-help-center) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located at 301 West Line Street, Bishop. Walk-in hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday service is remote by appointment, phone or Zoom. Call (760) 872-6240; return calls generally come within 2 business days. Local Rule 7.4, Child Custody/Visitation Mediation (Inyo County Superior Court Local Rules (Rev. 7-1-2024)) applies; see https://www.inyo.courts.ca.gov/system/files/localrules.pdf.

• Inyo County Superior Court Family Law
• Inyo County Self-Help Center
• Inyo County Court Locations
• Inyo County Local Rules of Court

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Inyo County Child Custody FAQs