The Long Beach Courthouse, formally the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, is the Los Angeles Superior Court’s South District courthouse at 275 Magnolia Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802. It hears divorce, legal separation, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, parentage, and domestic violence restraining order cases for Long Beach and the surrounding harbor communities.
When your marriage, your children, or your name is on the line, you need to know exactly where your case will be heard and what waits for you inside. For family law matters in the South District, that place is the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, the building locals still call the Long Beach Courthouse.
The Long Beach Courthouse serves fathers in Long Beach, Signal Hill, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, and Catalina Island. Reel Fathers Rights APC is a California firm that represents men and fathers exclusively in divorce, custody, support, and domestic violence cases, and our family lawyers for men in Los Angeles County prepared this guide so you arrive in Long Beach informed and ready.
Where Is the Long Beach Courthouse Located?
The Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse is located at 275 Magnolia Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802, in downtown Long Beach. The building is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except court holidays, and the court’s family law call center can be reached at 213-633-6363.
From the 710 freeway, follow the downtown Long Beach exits toward Broadway and Magnolia Avenue. Traffic near the harbor can be heavy, so build in a cushion.
The Deukmejian Courthouse opened in 2013, replacing the aging 1960s Long Beach courthouse one block away, and at roughly 531,000 square feet with 31 courtrooms it is one of the most modern courthouses in California. If an old document or website points you to the former courthouse, disregard it. Your family law hearing is at 275 Magnolia Avenue.
Schedule a Case Evaluation call 951-339-3826
What Types of Cases Are Heard at the Long Beach Courthouse?
The Long Beach Courthouse hears divorce, legal separation, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, parentage, and domestic violence restraining order cases in five family law courtrooms, including dedicated restraining order departments. Here is what that caseload means for you as a father.
Does the Long Beach Courthouse Handle Divorce and Legal Separation?
Yes, the Long Beach Courthouse hears divorce and legal separation cases for the South District. The orders issued in this building will shape your finances and your relationship with your children for years. An experienced divorce lawyer for men can help you enter the divorce process with a strategy instead of a stack of forms and a hope.
How Is Child Custody Decided at the Long Beach Courthouse?
Child custody and visitation orders are decided and modified at the Long Beach Courthouse, based on evidence about each parent’s role rather than assumptions about gender. Fathers can and do win substantial parenting time, but only when they present organized proof of their involvement. Vague claims lose. Records and schedules win. If custody during divorce is your fight, a child custody lawyer for fathers in the South Bay can turn your daily involvement into evidence a judge cannot ignore.
How Is Child Support Handled at the Long Beach Courthouse?
Child support and spousal support orders are set and modified at the Long Beach Courthouse under California’s guideline formula. The financial information presented at the outset drives what you pay every month, and a father who accepts inaccurate numbers can carry that mistake until the order is changed. Our guide to child support in California walks through the inputs. Verify every figure before the court adopts it.
What Happens With Domestic Violence Restraining Orders in Long Beach?
Requests for domestic violence restraining orders, and the responses to them, are heard in the Long Beach Courthouse’s dedicated restraining order departments. If you have been served with a restraining order request, understand that the outcome can restrict your access to your children and your home, so prepare your response with care. If you need protection yourself, learn how to get a restraining order in California, and know that one may be filed in any Los Angeles County district where your safety requires it.
How Do Unmarried Fathers Establish Their Rights in Long Beach?
Unmarried fathers establish their rights through a parentage case at the Long Beach Courthouse. If you were never married to your child’s mother, the law does not automatically give you custody or visitation rights. A parentage case establishes you as the legal father, which is the foundation for every right you have as a parent. A fathers rights lawyer can file it early and file it right.
What Services Are Available at the Long Beach Courthouse?
The Long Beach Courthouse offers a Self-Help Center on site in Room 3101 for self-represented litigants, and an LA Law Library branch operates on the third floor. Family law facilitator services are available through the court’s self-help resources.
Know what the facilitator is not. It is neutral, serving both sides of a case, and it does not replace your own attorney. Self-help staff can help you complete forms, but they cannot advocate for you when custody, support, or your reputation is contested.
Click to contact us today
What Should You Expect When You Arrive at the Long Beach Courthouse?
Expect weapons screening at the entrance, because every visitor to the Long Beach Courthouse passes through it. Prohibited items include firearms, knives and other bladed items, scissors, lighters, and pepper spray. If you refuse screening, you will be denied entry. Leave anything questionable at home so a small item does not derail your court date.
Your appearance and conduct matter just as much. Wear clean, conservative clothing, the kind you would wear to a job interview. Silence your phone before entering the courtroom. Speak only when addressed, refer to the judge as “Your Honor,” and stay composed no matter what the other side says. In a custody dispute, the calm and respectful parent has the advantage.
Complete a Case Evaluation form now
How Can Reel Fathers Rights Help Fathers at the Long Beach Courthouse?
Reel Fathers Rights helps fathers at the Long Beach Courthouse by representing men and fathers only, in divorce, custody, support, and domestic violence cases. From San Pedro fathers crossing the harbor to dads in Signal Hill and Catalina Island, we know how men are portrayed in family court, and we answer those assumptions with evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Long Beach Courthouse
Where do you park at the Long Beach Courthouse?
A public parking lot serves the courthouse on Magnolia Avenue between Ocean Boulevard and Broadway. Downtown parking near the harbor fills quickly on busy calendar mornings, and traffic on the 710 approach can add time you did not plan for. Treat parking as part of your travel time, not an afterthought.
How early should you arrive at the Long Beach Courthouse?
Give yourself at least 30 minutes before your hearing time to park, clear security, and find your courtroom. Arriving late to a custody hearing is a mistake you cannot take back, and in a building with 31 courtrooms, simply locating your department takes longer than most fathers expect.
Can the Self-Help Center represent you at the Long Beach Courthouse?
No, the Self-Help Center in Room 3101 cannot represent you. The staff there are neutral and serve both sides of a case, helping self-represented litigants complete forms correctly. They cannot advocate for you, argue your position, or advise you on strategy in a contested custody or support matter.
Is the Long Beach Courthouse the same as the old 1960s courthouse?
No, family law hearings for the South District are held at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse at 275 Magnolia Avenue, which opened in 2013 and replaced the aging 1960s Long Beach courthouse one block away. If an older website or document points you to the former building, disregard it and go to Magnolia Avenue.
Talk to a Lawyer Who Represents Fathers at the Long Beach Courthouse
Your children deserve a father who fights with a plan. If you are searching for a Long Beach divorce lawyer or a family lawyer for men who will take your side and keep it, we will review your situation and map out your next steps before your hearing date at 275 Magnolia Avenue arrives. Call 951-339-3826 or schedule a free case evaluation today.
Call or text 951-339-3826 or complete a Case Evaluation form
