Custody Hearings & Conferences
What Happens at a Custody Interim Conference?
An interim conference is a meeting that happens during a custody case \u2014 before a final trial or hearing. What happens at the conference depends on the court handling your case.
Procedures vary by court
1. What Does \u201CInterim\u201D Mean in a Custody Case?
“Interim” means temporary or in-between. An interim conference is not the final decision in your case — it is a step that happens while the case is ongoing. The court may use the conference to address temporary orders, scheduling, narrow issues, or procedural questions.
Some courts hold interim conferences to check on the status of the case, encourage settlement, or address specific issues that need attention before a final hearing.
2. Read Your Hearing or Conference Notice Carefully
The notice you received from the court should tell you the date, time, location (or video link), and purpose of the conference. Read it carefully and share it with your attorney.
The notice may also tell you what to bring, whether to file anything in advance, and whether the other parent will be present. Do not assume the conference will follow the same format as a previous one — courts can change procedures.
3. Identify the Purpose of the Conference
Try to determine why the court scheduled the conference. Is it a status conference to check on the case? A settlement conference to discuss agreement? A hearing on a temporary motion? A pretrial conference to prepare for trial?
Your attorney can help you understand the purpose based on the notice and the court’s standard practices. Knowing the purpose helps you prepare the right materials.
4. Locate Your Current Court Orders
Bring copies of all current court orders in your case — the original custody order, any temporary orders, and any modifications. The court may refer to these during the conference.
If you are not sure which orders are current, ask your attorney to help you identify them.
5. Organize Relevant Motions and Filings
Gather any pending motions — documents you or the other parent have filed that the court has not yet decided. Also gather any recent filings, responses, or attachments.
Organize them by date so you can find them quickly if the court references a specific document.
6. Create a Short Case Timeline
Build a brief, chronological timeline of the key events in your case — when the original order was issued, when motions were filed, when important events occurred, and when the next hearings are scheduled.
A short timeline helps you and your attorney see the case at a glance and answer the court’s questions without searching through documents.
7. Organize Potential Exhibits
If you may need to present documents at the conference — parenting-time calendars, communications, school records, medical records — organize them in advance. Label each document and keep a list of what each one shows.
Ask your attorney which documents are appropriate to bring and whether any need to be filed or exchanged with the other parent before the conference.
8. Organize Witness Information If Applicable
If witnesses may be relevant to the conference, organize their names, contact information, and a brief summary of what each witness may address. Do not contact witnesses without your attorney’s guidance.
Some conferences do not involve witnesses. Ask your attorney whether witness information is relevant to your conference.
9. Confidential Records
Some records — juvenile records, CPS records, therapy records, and certain family-court filings — may be confidential. Do not assume you can share or present confidential records without court permission.
Ask your attorney how to handle confidential records and whether you need a court order to access or present them.
10. Guardian ad Litem Issues
If a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) has been appointed in your case, find out whether the GAL will attend the conference and whether you should prepare anything for them. The GAL represents the child’s interests — not either parent.
Ask your attorney how to interact with the GAL and what information may be appropriate to share.
Before the Conference Checklist
Use this checklist to make sure you have the key items organized before your conference. Not every item will apply to every case \u2014 ask your attorney which are relevant to yours.
- Current court orders
- Hearing / conference notice
- Pending motions
- Relevant filings
- Parenting-time calendar
- Important communications
- Relevant child-centered records
- Potential exhibits
- Important dates
- Questions for attorney
12. Questions to Ask Your Attorney Before the Conference
Meet with your attorney before the conference and bring your organized materials. Consider asking:
- What is the purpose of this conference in my court?
- Will the conference be in person, by video, or by phone?
- What documents should I bring or file in advance?
- Will the other parent be present, and will we be expected to negotiate?
- What should I avoid saying or doing during the conference?
13. What Not to Assume About the Hearing
Do not assume the conference will follow the same format as a friend’s conference in a different court. Do not assume the judge already knows your case. Do not assume you will have a chance to speak at length — some conferences are brief and procedural.
Do not assume the conference will result in a final decision. Interim conferences often address temporary or procedural matters, not the final custody determination.
Important
HAVE A CUSTODY INTERIM CONFERENCE COMING UP?
Walking into an interim conference without organized records can make it harder to present your situation. The Case Advocates can help organize court orders, communications, evidence and timelines so you arrive better prepared.
If this is your situation, don’t wait.
NEED HELP UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS RELATES TO YOUR CASE?
Every case is different. Court orders, agency records, allegations, evidence, services, communications and procedural history can change the significance of what you are reading.
The Case Advocates provides case organization and document-review support for parents dealing with complicated CPS, custody, parenting-time, child-support, guardianship and related family-court matters.
Services may include:
- Organizing case records
- Building case timelines
- Identifying missing documents
- Organizing allegations and supporting/disputing evidence
- Documenting case-plan or service compliance
- Organizing visitation or parenting-time records
- Identifying inconsistencies and issues requiring review
- Preparing questions for attorneys, caseworkers or other professionals
- Preparing an organized case picture for upcoming case activity
The Case Advocates is a case advocacy service. We do not provide legal representation or legal advice and cannot guarantee any court or agency outcome.