California · Family Code

FAM §7860: At the beginning of the proceeding on a petition filed pursuant to this part, counsel shall be appointed as provided in this article.

What this law says, in plain English

This statute requires that counsel be appointed at the start of a proceeding on a petition filed under this part, according to the provisions of this article.

Read the full statutory text

At the beginning of the proceeding on a petition filed pursuant to this part, counsel shall be appointed as provided in this article. The public defender or private counsel may be appointed as counsel pursuant to this article. The same counsel shall not be appointed to represent both the child and the child’s parent.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.