Sacramento Family Court Audit and Accountability

The nature of family law in Sacramento, or in any California county, is usually emotionally charged, and sometimes disappointing.  However, principles of due process and fundamental fairness require that each Sacramento family law party have a fair opportunity to have their voice heard.  Unfortunately, no system of justice is perfect, and Sacramento County family courts are no exception.  Parties sometimes have poor experiences with a seemingly biased child custody mediator, or a family law judge whom they feel did not listen to their concerns.

In 2011, the California State Auditor reviewed the practices of Sacramento Family law courts.  The complaints generally alleged that the Sacramento family law mediators were poorly trained and the court consultants were biased.  The California State Auditor recommended changes to the custody mediation process and also requested the court create a system to track litigants’ complaints.  The Sacramento County family law courts fully implemented a few of the recommended changes and partially implemented others.  The rest were not implemented because the court complained of budget cuts and lack of resources.

While it is troubling that the Sacramento County family law courts were unable to make all of the recommended changes, it is important to remember that these recommendations may not have been good ones.  Also, the state’s budget is financially compromised and that has undoubtedly hurt all of California’s counties.

This recent audit underscores the importance of hiring an experienced family law attorney who is familiar with the Sacramento judges and the child custody and visitation process.  Even if there are imperfections within the judicial system, your case can be immeasurably strengthened by hiring a knowledgeable attorney.  If you are involved in a Sacramento County divorce or child custody case and you want a consultation with an experienced attorney, please give us a call.  We can help you understand the Sacramento County divorce and child custody process and advise you of your legal rights in a free half-hour attorney consultation.