What Happens at the Initial Appearance in Child Custody Court?
In child custody matters, the initial appearance, called a preliminary hearing, is the first court date that the parents attend. The hearing is typically brief–on average, less than 10 minutes–and allows the judge to familiarize himself with the parents, the case and determine if there are any pertinent issues that need to be addressed. You can expect very little to happen at your initial appearance, and no final Order for Child Custody will be entered at this time.
