Rocklin Family Law Attorney
Call Us Today530-285-4844
Call Us Today530-285-4844
You are worried about your kids. How many nights a week you will have them. Whether someone else ends up deciding where they go to school and how they are raised. You are worried about walking into a courtroom without understanding what happens next.
Those fears are exactly what we are here for.
Before Sara S. Thompson was an attorney, she spent close to nine years working as a paralegal, about eight of those years in family law specifically. She learned how these cases actually unfold in the file room and the courtroom hallway, years before she ever argued one herself as counsel.
Contact our Rocklin family law attorney and tell us what you are most afraid of losing. We will build a plan focused on that goal.
We represent Rocklin parents and spouses across the full range of family law matters, from a first custody filing to a modification years later. Sara Thompson has been named a California Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2020 through 2025, and her clients have rated her 8.4 (“Excellent”) on Avvo Rating, in the Excellent range.
As your family lawyer in Rocklin, we can assist with:
Wherever your case stands right now, whether it is a first filing or a change to an order from years ago, we can step in and help you understand what happens next.
A family law case can touch nearly everything: time with your kids, the house, the retirement account you built together, what you owe or are owed each month.
Custody and visitation follow one standard: your child’s best interest (Cal. Fam. Code § 3011), weighed against specific facts like stability, involvement, and safety, not who argues the loudest. Support and property matters follow their own guidelines, based on income, time with the kids, and what was acquired during the marriage.
None of this is decided by chance. It comes down to preparation and how your case is presented. We build every case, whether it’s about your kids, your finances, or both, around those specific facts.
Rocklin does not have its own family courthouse. Family law cases for Placer County, including Rocklin, are heard at the Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse in Roseville.
Before a judge rules on a contested custody or visitation dispute, both parents usually attend mediation first, also at that Roseville location.
Sara Thompson trained inside that courthouse and that mediation process for close to a decade before she carried her first case as an attorney. She’s also a member of the Placer County Bar Association’s Family Law Section, so she’s in regular contact with the attorneys and court staff who handle cases here.
We use that familiarity to help our clients understand what to expect there, so the first time you walk in isn’t the first time you understand what’s happening.
This information reflects California law as of July 2026.
Most first hearings are short case management conferences where the judge sets a schedule and may issue temporary orders on custody or support. You usually will not need to testify at this stage. Having your paperwork organized in advance matters more than anything you say in the room.
In most contested custody and visitation disputes here, yes. Both parents typically meet with Family Court Services before the case goes in front of a judge, and what happens in that meeting often shapes the orders that follow.
California judges decide custody based on what is in your child’s best interest, the same standard named above, weighing factors like each parent’s involvement, stability, and any history of abuse. No single factor controls the outcome on its own.
California requires a six-month waiting period before any divorce can be finalized. The clock starts from whichever comes first: the date the other spouse is served, or the date they formally respond to the case in court. A judge can extend this waiting period for a good reason, but can’t shorten it. Contested cases involving custody, support, or property disputes often take longer than that minimum.
Costs vary based on whether your case is contested, how many issues need to be resolved, and how much preparation each hearing requires. We can give you a clear estimate once we understand what you are facing.
Even an uncontested agreement has to be written correctly and filed properly before a judge will approve it. A short attorney review at this stage can prevent mistakes that are expensive to fix later.
Yes. Orders can be modified when circumstances change significantly, such as a new job, a move, or a shift in what your children need. We handle these modifications for clients throughout the area, including Rocklin.
Get clear on your options before anything is decided for you. Contact the Law Office of Sara S. Thompson, PC to schedule a confidential consultation about your Rocklin family law matter. Sara Thompson has been named a California Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2020 through 2025, and she learned this field from the inside, working family law cases in this area for years before she carried one as your attorney. Reach out and tell us where things stand.
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Auburn, CA 95603Get Directions
Phone Number530-285-4844
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