Child Custody and Visitation in Sutter County, California

Custody cases in Sutter County are filed at the Sutter County Superior Courthouse, 1175 Civic Center Blvd, in Yuba City, the county seat. The court is the Superior Court of California, County of Sutter. This single courthouse handles family law matters for Yuba City, Live Oak, and the rest of this Sacramento Valley farming county.

A custody request can be part of a divorce or legal separation. For parents who were never married, it is usually part of a parentage case. 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. Family Code section 3011 requires the judge to decide based on the best interest of the child. The judge looks at factors such as each parent's ability to provide a stable, safe home, with no preference based on either parent's gender.

Sutter County is a confidential, non-recommending county under Family Code section 3170's mediation requirement. The court's Mediation Orientation booklet describes the process as confidential and non-recommending. If parents do not reach agreement, the mediator reports only that no agreement was reached. The narrow exceptions are recommending counsel for the child, a custody evaluation, or a protective restraining order. Both parents must complete an online orientation before their mediation appointment.

Sutter County has required e-filing for civil, probate, and family law cases since July 1, 2017. Self-represented parties are exempt from that rule and may file on paper. The court still encourages them to e-file through the Odyssey eFileCA network.

Where custody cases are heard in Sutter County

Custody and visitation matters in Sutter County are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Sutter, with the county seat in Yuba City. 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 Sutter County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

How custody is decided in California

California uses the same statewide rules in every county, including Sutter 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 Sutter County.

Local notes for Sutter County

All Sutter County custody filings go through the courthouse at 1175 Civic Center Blvd, Yuba City. Regular family law hearings are generally set on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. Ex parte hearings for urgent matters involving children are by appointment Tuesday through Friday at 1:30 p.m. Notice to the other party is required by 10:00 a.m. the day before.

Because Sutter is a confidential mediation county, the mediator generally will not recommend a specific custody outcome to the judge if you and the other parent cannot agree, except in a few narrow situations. Complete the required online Mediation Orientation as soon as your case has a custody dispute. Both parents must finish it before their appointment.

The Self-Help Center is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It can help with forms and also responds through its E-Help email system within about two business days. If domestic violence is part of your situation, a DV restraining order (Forms DV-100 and DV-110) can include temporary custody terms while your case is pending. Call 911 in an emergency. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is available 24 hours a day.

Official custody resources in Sutter County

Sutter County Superior Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 1175 Civic Center Blvd, Yuba City 95993. Phone: (530) 822-3304.

The filing fee is $60. E-filing is available through https://odysseyefileca.com. E-filing has been mandatory for Civil, Probate, and Family Law cases in Sutter County since July 1, 2017. Self-represented parties are exempt from the mandate but are encouraged to e-file through the Odyssey eFileCA network.

Sutter County Self-Help Center (https://www.sutter.courts.ca.gov/self-help/family-law-facilitator) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located at 1175 Civic Center Blvd, Yuba City. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in person and by phone. Also reachable through the court's E-Help email system, with responses generally within 2 business days. Call (530) 822-3305. Local Rules of Court (amended July 1, 2018) (Sutter County Superior Court Local Rules) applies; see https://www.sutter.courts.ca.gov/general-information/local-rules-court.

• Sutter County Child Custody Mediation
• Sutter County Family Law Facilitator
• Sutter 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.

Sutter County Child Custody FAQs