San Luis Obispo Child Custody Lawyers
Hosford & Hosford offers effective legal counsel to secure your rights and relationship with your children.
As your San Luis Obispo child custody lawyer, we learn about your goals for the case and evaluate the circumstances of your situation. Then, we work efficiently to arrive at a satisfactory resolution, communicating with you about our progress at every stage.
In most divorce matters, including custody disputes, cases are either resolved with an agreement or a court order. Hosford & Hosford’s lawyers can represent you effectively in both settlement discussions and courtroom litigation. Find out what to expect with our team leading your case.
Issues That Child Custody Cases May Address
As your San Luis Obispo child custody lawyer, we can advise you on a variety of matters, including… 
Legal custody: Legal custody establishes whether one or both parents have the authority to make decisions regarding the children’s health, education, and welfare. Parents typically share legal jointly (joint legal custody). Occasionally, only one parent may be given the authority (sole legal custody).
Physical custody: This determines temporary and long-term living arrangements for children. The children may reside primarily with one parent while the other parent has visitation rights. Alternatively, the physical custody may be “joint” (both parents sharing substantially equal time with the child).
Child custody mediation: In mediation, parents meet with a trained mediator to learn about shared parenting and to see if they can reach an agreement on custody. The law requires that parents participate in child custody mediation before presenting disputes to a judge. In addition to serving as a San Luis Obispo child custody lawyer, Hosford & Hosford can provide parents with help during the mediation process. Court mandated child custody mediation is a service provided by Family Court Services (or the Family Law Facilitator’s office). The parties can agree through a private mediator (such as Hosford & Hosford), or ask the judge for an order, which requires mediation with family court services.
Child custody evaluations: In some cases, the court requires help in determining the parenting arrangement that serves the best interests of the child. A mental health professional may evaluate the parents and children for these cases and then report the findings to the court.
Post-judgment child custody and visitation modifications: A San Luis Obispo child custody lawyer can work on your behalf to change the visitation schedule and living arrangements even if a final judgment has been entered. In a modification case, Hosford & Hosford will present facts to a court so that it can determine whether circumstances warrant a change. Modification may be allowed as the children get older, or, in a more extreme example, if a parent begins abusing drugs or alcohol.
Working with Hosford & Hosford
If you are involved in a child custody case, it is important to choose a legal representative who will work diligently and professionally on your behalf and who will prioritize your best interests as well as your family’s.
At Hosford & Hosford, we aim for settlement when possible. This approach can avoid costly litigation, achieve an agreement that works for both parties, and makes the process less acrimonious. In situations that require litigation, we help you understand what to expect in the courtroom and work to develop a compelling case, relying on over 35 years of experience in child custody matters.
To learn more about child custody representation, contact Hosford & Hosford at (805) 439-1906 or toll-free at (855) 675-4496.