Child Custody and Visitation in Trinity County, California

Custody cases in Trinity County are filed and heard at the Trinity County Superior Courthouse, 11 Court Street, in Weaverville, the county seat and only incorporated city, through the Superior Court of California, County of Trinity. This one courthouse handles family law matters for the entire heavily forested, mountainous county.

A custody request is filed as part of a divorce, a legal separation, or, for parents who were never married, a parentage case. After the case is open, either parent can ask for custody and visitation orders by using Form FL-300, Request for Order, with the FL-311 attachment. Family Code section 3011 requires the judge to decide what is in the best interest of the child. The judge weighs factors such as each parent's ability to provide a stable, safe home, with no preference based on either parent's gender.

Trinity County is a recommending county under Family Code section 3170's mediation requirement. The court's own Family Law page says that if the parents cannot agree and cannot develop a parenting plan together, the Child Custody Recommending Counselor will prepare a recommendation on custody and visitation for the judge's consideration. An online orientation program is required before attending this counseling.

Trinity County does not currently offer electronic filing. Custody paperwork must be filed on paper, in person or by mail, at the Weaverville courthouse.

Where custody cases are heard in Trinity County

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

How custody is decided in California

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

Local notes for Trinity County

Weaverville is Trinity County's only incorporated city, and every custody filing and hearing takes place there, at the single courthouse on Court Street. Because there is no e-filing option, plan to file on paper in person or by mail well before any deadline.

Trinity is a recommending mediation county, so take the required online orientation seriously before your Child Custody Recommending Counseling appointment. If you and the other parent cannot agree, the counselor's recommendation goes to the judicial officer. Call (530) 623-1208 to schedule.

The Self-Help Center is on the first floor of the courthouse and helps visitors first-come, first-served, with interpreter services available for other languages. Trinity County is remote and heavily forested, and winter weather can affect travel to Weaverville. Build in extra time before a filing deadline or scheduled appointment, and call ahead to confirm the courthouse is open as planned.

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, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is available 24 hours a day.

Official custody resources in Trinity County

Trinity County Superior Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 11 Court Street, Weaverville 96093. Phone: (530) 623-1208.

The filing fee is $60. Trinity County does not currently offer electronic filing. All custody paperwork is filed on paper in person or by mail.

Trinity County Self-Help Center (https://trinity.courts.ca.gov/self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located on the first floor of the courthouse, 11 Court Street, Weaverville. Services are first-come, first-served. Call the main courthouse line, (530) 623-1208, to reach the Self-Help Center or Family Law Facilitator. Interpreter services are available.

• Trinity County Family Law
• Trinity County Self-Help
• Trinity County Online Services

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

Trinity County Child Custody FAQs