Family Law Section Meeting (virtual)

The MCBA Family Law Section announces their October virtual presentation, Challenges Attorneys Face in High-Conflict Cases: From Client Control to Courtroom Readiness, to be held on Tuesday, October 21st at 12:00 PM.

High-conflict custody cases push attorneys beyond routine practice, requiring specialized strategies to manage entrenched disputes, chronic litigation, and ineffective communication between parents. This presentation provides a California-specific practice guide, integrating statutory mandates, ethical obligations, and technology solutions.

Key statutes—including Family Code §§3020, 3042, and 3044—frame the court’s focus on child welfare, children’s preferences, and domestic violence presumptions, all of which create unique challenges for attorneys. At the same time, California Evidence Code provisions govern how digital records from co-parenting platforms may be authenticated and admitted in court.

With courts increasingly ordering the use of structured communication tools, attorneys must understand both the legal and practical benefits of these platforms. Co-parenting apps reduce conflict, improve client accountability, and create tamper-resistant, admissible records. AI-assisted tools such as tone analysis further help prevent inflammatory communication that may otherwise escalate disputes.

This session will also address access and equity issues, including fee waivers and pro bono obligations, ensuring all clients can comply with court-ordered technology. Advanced considerations—such as rebutting the domestic violence presumption under Family Code §3044 and the emerging role of AI and blockchain—will be explored alongside practical checklists for onboarding clients, supervising technology use, and preparing evidence packages.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies to manage client behavior, reduce litigation costs, and present stronger, authenticated evidence in California family courts.

***For those that are not able to attend but interested in the post-meeting recording, we require that you Register for the Event. Once the presentation has concluded, if the recording is adequate, we will send it and the Handout(s) to those that were not able to attend. MCBA is not accredited to provide CLE for viewing post-presentation recording.***

Chelsea Heaney and Emily Lane
Co-Chairs, MCBA Family Law Section