If you live in Fremont and you are facing a divorce, a custody dispute, or a restraining order, start with a fact that catches most people out: there is a courthouse in Fremont, and your case will not be heard there.
Mock Law is a boutique family law and civil litigation practice serving Fremont and the wider East Bay.
When you hire this office, you work directly with an attorney — not a rotating cast of paralegals.
I limit my caseload to give my clients the attention they deserve.
Yes, Fremont Has a Courthouse, but Your Family Law Case Won't Be Heard There.
The Fremont Hall of Justice sits at 39439 Paseo Padre Parkway, a short drive from Fremont BART. It handles traffic matters and criminal cases — misdemeanor arraignments, pretrial hearings, and South County criminal trials. It does not hear family law. There is no divorce calendar, no custody calendar, and no restraining order calendar in Fremont.
Every family law case for a Fremont resident is filed and heard at the Hayward Hall of Justice, a short drive north on I-880:
While it’s a relatively short drive, hearings are scheduled during business hours, which for most people means arranging time off work and childcare. An inexpensive covered parking garage ($3 for the morning) sits directly across the street from the courthouse, with limited two-hour metered parking directly behind it. Hayward BART is about 1.2 miles away, and AC Transit runs bus routes connecting the station to the courthouse.
Hayward Hall of Justice
24405 Amador Street
Hayward, CA 94544
(510) 690-2700
Building hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm
Family law departments: 502 – 522 (Dept. 501 is the Self-Help Center)
Which Courtroom You'll Be In
Alameda County assigns family law matters to specific departments at the Hayward Hall of Justice. As of the court’s assignments effective January 2026, domestic violence restraining orders are heard in Department 502 (Hon. Brian L. Caruth), family law trials — long cause hearings — in Department 503 (Hon. Andrew Steckler), and settlement conferences in Department 504 (Hon. Michael Bishay). Family law departments run from 502 to 522; Department 501 is the Self-Help Center. Other family law departments at the Hayward Hall of Justice (507-510, 513, 515, 516, 522) handle the day-to-day law and motion calendars, when most pre-trial motions (also called RFOs) are heard.
The same courthouse also hears civil harassment restraining orders — but in the general civil departments, not in family court. A CHRO and a DVRO are different orders, under different statutes, heard by different judges in different courtrooms of the same building. Which one fits your situation depends on your relationship to the person you need protection from.
Judicial assignments change. The court publishes its current judicial directory here:
Alameda County Superior Court — Judicial Directory and Assignments
How I Help Fremont Clients
Family law is most of what I do: contempts, divorce and legal separation, child custody and visitation, spousal and child support, division of property and assets, premarital agreements, and DVROs. I also handle domestic violence restraining orders — both for people who need protection and for people defending against claims they believe are false or exaggerated.
Fremont is a city of engineers, and a great many Fremont divorces turn on assets that are not the house. Unvested stock and equity compensation are frequently the largest thing on the table, and how they are characterized and divided is genuinely contested territory. If that describes your marriage, say so early — it changes how a case should be built.
I believe most family law matters are better resolved through mediation than litigation. But when a case must be litigated, it gets litigated properly. I also handle appeals, which most family law attorneys do not.
The Happiest City in America — Which Cuts Both Ways for a Family Law Page
For seven years running, Fremont has been named the happiest city in America. In WalletHub’s 2026 study, Fremont finished first overall among the largest U.S. cities and ranked first in the country for emotional and physical well-being. While Fremont has one of the lowest separation and divorce rates in the nation, about 8.9%, 8.9% of a city of more than 230,000 people is still thousands of families. If you are one of those families, you are not an outlier and you are not doing anything wrong — divorce and custody are hard in a happy city too, and having help matters just as much here. The same study ranked Fremont near the top for community and environment, driven in part by high household incomes — nearly 80% of Fremont households earn above $75,000 a year.
Fees, and Whether You Need Full Representation
Alongside standard hourly representation, I offer flat fees for defined, limited work, and unbundled services for people representing themselves who need a lawyer to help navigate the procedural hurdles or prepare legal paperwork.
If you are going into Hayward on your own, unbundled help is often the difference between arriving unprepared and arriving ready.
FAQ
Is there a family court in Fremont?
No. The Fremont Hall of Justice hears traffic and criminal matters only. All family law cases for Fremont residents — divorce, custody, support, and restraining orders — are filed and heard at the Hayward Hall of Justice, 24405 Amador Street, Hayward.
Where do I file for divorce if I live in Fremont?
At the Hayward Hall of Justice. Fremont is in Alameda County, and Alameda County family law filings are made in Hayward. The clerk's office takes filings in person, and the court also offers appointments.
Which judge will hear my restraining order case?
As of the court's judicial assignments effective January 2026, domestic violence restraining orders at the Hayward Hall of Justice are heard in Department 502. Assignments change — check the court's judicial directory for the current list.
How far is the Hayward courthouse from Fremont?
A short drive north on I-880, traffic depending. Hayward BART is about 1.2 miles from the courthouse, with AC Transit bus service connecting the two, and an inexpensive parking garage sits across the street.
Do I need a lawyer for the whole case?
Not always. If the parties are pretty amicable and want to settle the case, they won’t always need lawyers. Even in some high conflict divorces, some people choose to represent themselves to save money and hire an attorney for just parts of the case. That is unbundled, limited-scope representation, and we offer it.
Can you help if a restraining order was filed against me that isn't true?
Yes. Defending against false or exaggerated DVRO claims is part of this practice, and those matters are heard in Department 502 in Hayward.
Is a civil harassment restraining order heard in Hayward too?
Yes, at the same courthouse — but not in family court. Civil harassment restraining orders are heard in the general civil departments at the Hayward Hall of Justice, while domestic violence restraining orders are heard in family law, in Department 502. Which one applies to you depends on your relationship to the other person.