If you live in Newark, California and you are facing a divorce, a custody fight, or a restraining order, one of the first practical things you will want to know is where you actually have to go. It is not the courthouse down the road in Fremont — and that catches almost everyone out.
Mock Law is a boutique family law and civil litigation practice serving Newark and the East Bay. Clients work with an attorney directly, not with a rotating cast of paralegals or associates.
Newark Has No Courthouse — and the Fremont One Can't Help You
There is no court in Newark. Most people’s next thought is the Fremont Hall of Justice on Paseo Padre Parkway, a few minutes up the road. That is the wrong building. Fremont’s courthouse handles only traffic tickets and criminal matters —arraignments and pretrial hearings. It runs no family law calendar at all.
Newark sits in Alameda County, and every Alameda County family law case is filed and heard at the Hayward Hall of Justice.
The drive itself is short — ten to twenty minutes north on I-880 from Newark, depending on traffic. What takes the day is the court, not the road: hearings run during business hours, so most people are arranging time off work and childcare regardless of how close the courthouse is. When you get there, a parking garage sits opposite the building, with limited two-hour metered parking behind it. Hayward BART is about 1.2 miles away, and AC Transit runs buses from the station to the court.
Hayward Hall of Justice
24405 Amador Street
Hayward, CA 94544
(510) 690-2700
Monday–Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm
Family law departments: 502 – 522 · Dept. 501 is the Self-Help Center
| Department | Judicial officer | Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 502 | Hon. Brian L. Caruth | Domestic violence and restraining orders |
| 503 | Hon. Andrew Steckler | Family law long cause hearings — trials |
| 504 | Hon. Michael Bishay | Family law settlement conferences |
| 507–510, 513, 515, 516, 522 | Various judges | Family law and motion |
The Courtrooms Your Case Will Land In
Family matters in Hayward are split across specific departments. Knowing which one you are headed for will not change the law, but it does mean you walk in with some idea of what is about to happen. Under the court’s assignments effective January 2026:
There are also several civil departments at the Hayward Hall of Justice, handling matters for unlawful detainer (evictions), collections cases, civil matters, and civil harassment restraining orders.
A Restraining Order Is Not Always a Family Law Case
Civil harassment restraining orders are heard in Hayward as well — but in the general civil department, not in family law court.
A domestic violence restraining order is for people who are or were close — a spouse, a partner you dated, a family member, someone you lived with. A civil harassment order covers everyone else: the neighbor, the co-worker, the acquaintance who will not leave you alone. Different statute, different courtroom, different judge, different burden. If you are not certain which one your situation calls for, ask before you file. rather than after.
Judicial assignments change from year to year. The court publishes the current list here:
Alameda County Superior Court — Judicial Directory and Assignments
https://www.alameda.courts.ca.gov/general-information/judicial-directory-and-assignments
Practical Things to Know at the Hayward Hall of Justice
Parties are sworn in when the case is called. In Hayward family law courtrooms, it is standard practice for the court to place both parties under oath as soon as the case is called — before argument even begins. Expect to be sworn in, not just to sign in.
There’s a dedicated child support (DCSS) courtroom. Department 509 hears Family Law AB 1058 proceedings — the cases initiated through the Alameda County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) — and is currently assigned to Commissioner Bradley Kaplan.
Commissioner Nikki Clark also sits in family law. Alameda County’s family law bench includes both judges and commissioners; Commissioner Clark is one of the commissioners currently assigned to hear family law matters at the Hayward Hall of Justice. Judicial assignments change, so confirm the current department roster before your hearing.
You have the right to refuse to have a commissioner hear your case. A commissioner is not a judge. Under the California Constitution (art. VI, § 21) and Code of Civil Procedure section 259, a commissioner can act as a temporary judge in a contested family law matter only with the stipulation of both parties. If you don’t want a commissioner deciding your case, you can decline to stipulate — but do it promptly. Failing to object before the proceeding begins can itself be treated as an implied stipulation, so this is something to raise up front, not after the hearing has started.
Most family law courtrooms do not have a court reporter present. Because of a statewide shortage of official court reporters, most Hayward family law departments no longer have one in the room; the court has indicated it intends to keep providing reporters a while longer in a small number of departments, including the domestic violence department, but that isn’t guaranteed to continue. Where no reporter is present, the judicial officer may authorize the court’s Liberty electronic recording system to create a record of the hearing — something Alameda County has leaned on more heavily following California Supreme Court guidance (Jameson v. Desta (2018) 5 Cal.5th 594) that proceeding without any verbatim record can be fatal to a party’s ability to appeal. A Liberty recording isn’t automatic for every hearing, though, so if preserving your appellate rights matters to you, it’s worth asking whether one will be made — or arranging for a private court reporter.
How I Help Newark Clients
Family law is the bulk of what I do: divorce and legal separation, custody and visitation, spousal and child support, dividing property and assets, premarital agreements, grandparents’ rights. I take domestic violence restraining orders on both sides of the caption — for people who need protection, and for people answering claims they say are false or exaggerated.
Most family law matters are better settled than fought, and I believe in minimizing fees for both sides wherever possible. I also handle appeals, which most family lawyers do not touch.
You May Not Need a Lawyer for All of It
Plenty of people do not need full representation. Alongside hourly work, this office offers limited scope or unbundled help for people representing themselves — a settlement agreement or responsive declaration reviewed, Xspouse calculations, etc.
If you are walking into Hayward on your own, that kind of help is often the whole difference between arriving unprepared and arriving ready.
FAQ
Is there a courthouse in Newark, CA?
No. Newark has no courthouse. The nearest one, the Fremont Hall of Justice, hears only traffic and criminal matters — it runs no family law calendar. Newark family law cases go to the Hayward Hall of Justice, 24405 Amador Street, Hayward.
Where does a Newark, CA resident file for divorce?
At the Hayward Hall of Justice. Newark is in Alameda County, and all Alameda County family law matters are filed and heard in Hayward. The clerk's office accepts filings in person and the court offers appointments.
Which department hears restraining orders?
As of the court's assignments effective January 2026, domestic violence restraining orders are heard in Department 502 at the Hayward Hall of Justice. Civil harassment restraining orders are heard in the same courthouse, but in the general civil departments — not in family court.
What is the difference between a DVRO and a civil harassment order?
It comes down to your relationship with the other person. A DVRO is for a spouse, a dating partner, a family member, or someone you have lived with. A civil harassment order covers everyone else — neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances. They are heard under different statutes, in different departments, by different judges.
Do I have to hire a lawyer for the whole case?
Often not. Many people represent themselves and bring in an attorney for one piece — reviewing an agreement, preparing for a single hearing, drafting one set of papers. That is unbundled, limited-scope representation, and it is available here.
Do you also serve Fremont and Union City?
Yes. This office serves Newark, Fremont, Union City, Dublin and the wider East Bay, as well as San Francisco.
Talk to a Newark Family Law Attorney
For a complimentary conversation, call (415) 523-7969 or email hello@mmocklaw.com.