California Court System

State Courts

Appellate Level

• California Supreme Court - Highest court in the state; final appellate authority

  • 7 justices
  • Hears selected civil and criminal cases on appeal

• California Court of Appeal - Intermediate appellate courts

  • 6 districts covering the state
  • Divided into divisions handling civil and criminal cases

Trial Level

• Superior Courts - Trial courts of general jurisdiction

  • Located in each county
  • Handle civil, criminal, family law, and probate matters
  • Family law departments handle custody, support, and dissolution cases

• Municipal and Justice Courts - Lower trial courts (limited jurisdiction in some counties)

  • Small claims, traffic, misdemeanors

Federal Courts

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit - Reviews federal cases from California
• U.S. District Court for Northern District of California (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose)
• U.S. District Court for Eastern District of California (Sacramento, Fresno)
• U.S. District Court for Central District of California (Los Angeles, Long Beach)
• U.S. District Court for Southern District of California (San Diego)

Court Procedures

Family law and custody matters in California are handled in Superior Courts with family law departments, with appeals to the Court of Appeal districts and potentially the Supreme Court.

Related

• California - California jurisdiction overview
• CA Family Code § 3044 - Custody and parenting plans statute