AB 1807 Summary

• Prohibits courts from ordering child custody evaluations upon a deployed military parent's return unless the opposing party makes a prima facie showing that reverting to the prior custody order is not in the child's best interest.

• Establishes that a child's absence from California during a parent's deployment or a non-deploying parent's relocation during deployment does not terminate the court's jurisdiction over future custody modifications.

• Prevents a parent's military deployment from being used as grounds to claim the court is an inconvenient forum for custody orders.

• Allows deployed military parents to participate in custody hearings and mediation through electronic means (telephone, video conferencing, or Internet) or to request expedited hearings before deployment.

• Directs family courts to prioritize and expedite child custody cases involving deployed or returning military parents to the extent feasible within existing resources.