Request for Order re Child Custody, Child Support, Consolidation, and Conversion to Dissolution
Stanislaus County - FamilyLaw - https://www.stanislaus.courts.ca.gov/online-services/tentative-rulings/family-law-t entative-rulings 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 matter s 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: 06/02/2026
The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge Alan Cassidy in Department #11: THERE ARE NO TENTATIVES.
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The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge J. Richard Distaso in Department #13: FL-24-002766 - JOHNSON VS JOHNSON Respondent's Request for Order re Child Custody, etc.-- HEARING REQUIRED.
The child custody and visitation requests were mediated on May 19, 2026, and are not at issue here. Child support is not eligible for tentative ruling and requires a hearing. This leaves the request to consolidate the present action with a prior case, No. 318922, and to convert said action from legal separation to dissolution.
The prior case was filed as Petition for Legal Separation by Respondent in this case. Petitioner in the case at bar/Respondent in the prior action filed a Response to the Petition that counterclaimed for Dissolution of Marriage on January 3, 2015. Doing so ordinarily converts the action to Dissolution of Marriage as a matter of law, since leave of court is not required to do so. (Fam. Code, Sec. 2321(a).)
If so, then the leave to amend request is moot but there may be a question as to whether Petitioner here/Respondent prior ever paid the necessary filing fees or obtained a fee waiver and the Court's docket still reflects the case type as legal separation. After this length of time without reconciliation, there is little doubt that irreconcilable differences exist.
However, the minor children in the prior case have reached majority and the length of separation makes the likelihood of any community property issues very low; moreover, the length of marriage was on the margins of statutory long duration, suggesting that spousal support also should not be a major issue of dispute. Petitioner in this action filed a Responsive Declaration and opposes the request. Both leave to amend and consolidation are matters for the Court's discretion. Accordingly, the parties may appear and be heard.
The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge Sarah Birmingham in Department #14: THERE ARE NO TENTATIVES.
The following are the tentative ruling cases calendared before Judge Maria Elena Ramos-Ratliff in Department #25: THERE ARE NO TENTATIVES.