Family Law Tentative Rulings

The family court issues tentative ruling announcements on the court day prior to the scheduled hearing for specific types of motions. Tentative rulings are only provided on the Internet and posted in the clerk’s office lobby. Internet postings occur at 3:30 p.m. daily.

Parties are not required to give notice of intent to appear to preserve the right to a hearing. The tentative ruling will not become final until the hearing. (Stan. Cnty. Local Rules, rule 7.05.1) However, as a courtesy to the Court, and other parties or counsel with matters on calendar, notice of intended appearance or non-appearance is encouraged and may be sent by e-mail to the following address: familylaw.tentatives@stanct.org between the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail from the clerk, you may call to speak directly with a Calendar Clerk at 209-530-3107.

Any party filing pleadings or documents on a tentative ruling matter within five (5) days of the hearing should provide a courtesy copy to the Courtroom Clerk and the Court’s Family Law Research Attorney by placing a copy in the drop box slot on the door of Room 223, Second Floor of the main Courthouse. Failure to do so may prevent the Court from consideration of such, may result in a continuance, and/or may be considered in the award of conduct-based fees and costs. (Stan. Cnty. Local Rules, rule 7.05.1(B).)

All parties and counsel are required to meet and confer in a good faith effort to resolve the dispute on any request, motion or hearing, with the exception of those involving domestic violence, and to exchange any documents upon which reliance will be made at the hearing. (Cal. Rules of Ct., rule 5.98; Stan. Cnty. Local Rules, rule 7.05.1(C).) Failure to do so may result in a continuance and may be considered in the award of conduct-based fees and costs, or both. If sufficient information regarding an adequate pre-hearing meet and confer effort is not provided in the moving and opposing papers, in the Court’s discretion, the matter may be placed at the end of the calendar and not called until the parties or counsel advise the Court that they have complied with their obligations and/or resolved the matters own motion, the Court orders Respondent to comply within thirty (30) days of this ruling and admonishes Respondent that the failure to do so may result in the striking of the Response and entry of Respondent’s default.

Date: April 30, 2025

The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge Alan Cassidy in Department #11:

FL-22-000886 – SALLAS VS SALLAS

Respondent’s Request for Order re Set Aside, etc.—DENIED.

The Court resumes presiding over this case and remains assigned to it for all purposes, including trial, following receipt of the Order Denying Disqualification filed February 19, 2025, regarding Respondent’s challenge for cause.

The child custody and visitation requests have been previously mediated and are not at issue here.  The child support request was heard in Department 15 and is also not at issue here.

This leaves only the request to set aside. Respondent has now filed the same order request twice before this and each time was denied.  (See FOAH, 11/13/24 and 1/14/25.)  The latter of these advised Respondent that the only available statutory grounds giving authority for the Court to entertain set-aside at this late date are contained within Family Code section 2122 and that, among these, only subpart (c) has not expired under the prescribed statute of limitations for each ground.  But Respondent’s declaration offers no allegations, facts or corroborating evidence that even speak to this ground for set aside of a final judgment.

As such, and like the last set aside request, the Court must treat Respondent’s motion as an invalid and untimely motion for reconsideration filed outside the 10-day limit and without an affidavit attesting to new facts, circumstances or a change of law.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 1008(a).)  Respondent’s request to set aside the judgment is therefore DENIED. 

FL-21-002435 – FAIRFIELD VS FAIRFIELD

Respondent’s Request for Order re Set Aside Default, etc.—MOOT.

Respondent filed a Response to the Petition on April 25, 2025.  Consequently, the set aside request is moot and the hearing is vacated as such. 

The child custody and visitation requests are currently set for May 19, 2025 and are not at issue.

No appearances are necessary.

The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge J. Richard Distaso in Department #13:

THERE ARE NO TENTATIVES.

The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge Sweena Pannu in Department #14:

THERE ARE NO TENTATIVES.

The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge David I. Hood in Department #25:

FL-23-000564 – PRASAD VS RANI

Petitioner’s Request for Order re Enforce Settlement Agreement, Elisor, Sanctions —HEARING REQUIRED.