FL-313-INFO - Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling

Summary

Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling

Text

Form ID: FL-313-INFO
Title: Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling
Effective Date: 2025-07-01
Mandatory Form: no
Languages: 汉语, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt
Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/FL-313-INFO
Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl313info.pdf
Alternate Download URLs: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl313infoc.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl313infok.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl313infos.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl313infov.pdf
Form Detail Page:
Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling
(FL-313-INFO)
Explains that some family courts use child custody recommending counseling (CCRC) to help parents create a parenting plan agreement before the court makes orders about child custody and visitation. This form also explains the next steps if parents do not agree on a parenting plan during CCRC and includes information about how to find help.
Get form FL-313-INFO
汉语
Get form FL-313-INFO in Chinese Simplified
(Chinese Simplified)
한국어
Get form FL-313-INFO in Korean
(Korean)
español
Get form FL-313-INFO in Spanish
(Spanish)
Tiếng Việt
Get form FL-313-INFO in Vietnamese
(Vietnamese)
Effective: July 1, 2025
Go to
How-to instructions for Custody
Go to
Custody Form Packets
PDF Text:
Judicial Council of California,   
Rev. July 1, 2025, Optional Form  Child Custody Information Sheet—
Recommending Counseling
FL-313-INFO, Page 1 of 2
FL-313-INFO Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling
Parents who come to court about child custody 
and parenting time (visitation) face decisions 
about parenting plans for their children. This 
information sheet provides general information 
about child custody and parenting time matters, 
how to get help resolving a custody dispute or 
making a parenting plan, where to find an 
attorney, and where to find other resources.
What is a parenting plan?
A parenting plan describes how the parents will 
divide their responsibilities for taking care of their 
child. 
 
The plan may include a general or specific 
schedule of days, times, weekends, holidays, 
vacations, transportation, pick-up/drop-off, limits 
on travel, counseling, and treatment services, and 
other details.
What are legal and physical custody?
A parenting plan usually includes:
• Legal custody: how parents make major 
  decisions about the child’s health, education, 
  and welfare; 
• Physical custody: where the child lives; and 
• Parenting time, time-share, or visitation: 
  when the child spends time with each parent. 
 
Legal custody and physical custody may 
each be specified as joint (both parents have 
certain responsibilities) or sole (one parent has 
the responsibility alone).
Can we make our own parenting plan?
Yes. You have a right to make a parenting plan 
agreement on your own. This agreement may be 
called a stipulation, time-share plan, or parenting 
plan. 
 
If both parents can agree on a parenting plan, the 
judge will probably approve it. The agreement 
becomes a court order after it is signed by both 
parents and the judge, and filed with the court.
What if there is domestic 
violence or a protective order?
If there is domestic violence or a protective order, 
talk with an attorney, counselor, or child custody 
recommending counselor before making a 
parenting plan. 
 
For domestic violence help, call the National 
Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 
(TDD:1-800-787-3224) or call 211 if available in 
your area.
What if we don’t have a parenting plan?
If you can’t reach an agreement, the court will refer 
you to family court services (FCS) for child custody 
mediation also called “child custody recommending 
counseling.” At the appointment, you will meet with 
an FCS professional also called a “child custody 
recommending counselor.” He or she will help you 
and the other parent reach an agreement about a 
parenting plan.
What is child custody recommending 
counseling with family court services?
Family court services (FCS) provides child custody 
recommending counseling (sometimes referred to as 
child custody mediation) to help parents resolve 
disagreements about the care of their child. The child 
custody recommending counselor will meet with you 
and the other parent to try to help you both make a 
parenting plan. There may be an orientation provided 
that offers additional information about the process. 
 
If you are unable to reach an agreement after meeting 
with family court services, the child custody 
recommending counselor will make a written 
recommendation to the court about a parenting plan. 
You and the other parent and the attorneys (if any) 
will get a copy of the recommendation before the 
court hearing. 
 
If you are concerned about meeting with the other 
parent, or there is a domestic violence issue or a 
protective order involving the other parent, you may

Rev. July 1, 2025 Child Custody Information Sheet—
Recommending Counseling
FL-313-INFO, Page 2 of 2
FL-313-INFO Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling
ask to meet alone with the child custody 
recommending counselor without the other parent. 
You may also request to have a support person with 
you. The support person may not speak for you.
Do we have to agree to a parenting plan 
when we meet?
No. You do not have to come to an agreement. When 
the parents can’t agree, the judge will decide. For 
legal advice, contact an attorney. For other 
information, ask the self-help center or family court 
services about how the process works in your court.
Are there other ways to resolve our dispute?
Yes. You may try other alternative dispute 
resolution (ADR) options, including:
1. Meet and Confer: Parents and their attorneys (if 
any) may meet at any time and as often as necessary to 
work out a parenting plan without a court hearing. If 
there is a protective order limiting the contact between 
the parents, then the “meet and confer” can be through 
attorneys or a mediator in separate sessions.
2. Settlement Conference: In some courts, parents 
may meet with a judge, neutral evaluators, or family 
law attorneys not involved in the case to discuss 
settlement. Check with the local court to find out if this 
is an option. If there is a protective order, the settlement 
discussion can be through attorneys or a mediator in 
separate sessions.
3. Private Mediation: Parents may hire a private 
mediator to help them resolve their dispute.
4. Collaborative Law Process: Each parent hires a 
lawyer and agrees to resolve the dispute without going 
to court. The parents may also hire other experts.
Court Hearing
When the parents cannot agree to a parenting plan 
on their own, in child custody recommending
counseling, or in any other ADR process, the judge 
will decide. 
 
If there is domestic violence or a protective order, a 
parent may be able to bring a support person with 
him or her to the court hearing, but the support 
person may not speak for that person.
Where can I get help?
This information sheet gives only basic information 
on the child custody process and is not legal advice. 
If you want legal advice, ask an attorney for 
assistance. For other information, you may want to:
1. Contact family court services.
2. Contact the family law facilitator or self-help 
center for information, local rules and court forms, 
and referrals to local legal services providers.
3. Find an attorney through your local bar 
association, the State Bar of California at 
www.calbar.ca.gov, or the Lawyer Referral Service 
at 1-866-442-2529.
4. Hire a private mediator for help with your 
parenting agreement. A mediator may be an attorney 
or counselor. Contact your local bar association, 
court ADR program, or family court services for a 
referral to local resources.
5. Find information on the Online Self-Help Center 
website at 
6. For free and low-cost legal help (if you qualify), 
go to 
7. Find information at your local law library or ask 
at your public library.
8. Ask for a court hearing and let the judge decide 
what is best for your child.
Requests for Accommodations 
Assistive listening systems, computer-assisted real-time captioning, or sign language interpreter services are available if 
you ask at least five days before the proceeding. Contact the clerk's office or go to                                   for Disability 
Accommodation Request (                     ). (Civil Code, § 54.8.)

Retrieval chunks

• #1

  Form ID: FL-313-INFO Title: Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling Effective Date: 2025-07-01 Mandatory Form: no Languages: 汉语, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/FL-313-INFO Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl313info.pdf Alterna…

• #2

  • Physical custody: where the child lives; and • Parenting time, time-share, or visitation: when the child spends time with each parent. Legal custody and physical custody may each be specified as joint (both parents have certain responsibilities) or sole (one parent has the responsibility alone). Can we make o…

• #3

  Rev. July 1, 2025 Child Custody Information Sheet— Recommending Counseling FL-313-INFO, Page 2 of 2 FL-313-INFO Child Custody Information Sheet—Recommending Counseling ask to meet alone with the child custody recommending counselor without the other parent. You may also request to have a support person with you…

• #4

  and referrals to local legal services providers. 3. Find an attorney through your local bar association, the State Bar of California at www.calbar.ca.gov, or the Lawyer Referral Service at 1-866-442-2529. 4. Hire a private mediator for help with your parenting agreement. A mediator may be an attorney or counsel…