Chart: Percentage of Unrepresented Petitioners in Family Law Cases in Contra Costa Superior Court
Data contained in the chart below represents initial family law filings in March of two years: 2010 and 2016. Whether or not parties are represented in family law cases tends to change repeatedly as the case progresses; these fluctuations are not reflected in the chart. The chart reflects each party’s status at the time of the initial filing. Other parties that may have entered the case, such as the Department of Child Support Services, grandparents, etc., are not included in the numbers.
Percentage of Unrepresented Petitioners in Family Law Cases
Contra Costa Superior Court
Cases Filed in March 2010 vs. March 2016
| Dissolution w/ children | ||||||||
| Year | Petitioner Represented | Respondent Represented | Total Represented | Petitioner Not Represented | Respondent not Represented | Total Not Represented | Total Filings | % Unrepresented |
| 2010 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 165 | 75 | 240 | 286 | 83.9% |
| 2016 | 33 | 19 | 52 | 120 | 28 | 148 | 200 | 74.0% |
| Dissolution w/out Children | ||||||||
| Year | Petitioner Represented | Respondent Represented | Total Represented | Petitioner Not Represented | Respondent not Represented | Total Not Represented | Total Filings | % Unrepresented |
| 2010 | 26 | 16 | 42 | 150 | 49 | 199 | 241 | 82.6% |
| 2016 | 36 | 20 | 56 | 108 | 22 | 130 | 186 | 69.9% |
| Parentage | ||||||||
| Year | Petitioner Represented | Respondent Represented | Total Represented | Petitioner Not Represented | Respondent not Represented | Total Not Represented | Total Filings | % Unrepresented |
| 2010 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 38 | 38 | 76 | 96 | 79.2% |
| 2016 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 35 | 7 | 42 | 62 | 67.7% |
| Total Family Law Cases | ||||||||
| Year | Petitioner Represented | Respondent Represented | Total Represented | Petitioner Not Represented | Respondent not Represented | Total Not Represented | Total Filings | % Unrepresented |
| 2010 | 65 | 49 | 114 | 434 | 214 | 648 | 762 | 85.0% |
| 2016 | 96 | 62 | 158 | 367 | 88 | 455 | 613 | 74.2% |