Is the Adult Adoption case filed in: civil law division, family law division, probate law division, or juvenile law division?

Which Branch or Division of California Superior Court do I file my Adult Adoption Case in? Is the Adult Adoption case filed in: civil law division, family law division, probate law division, or juvenile law division?

That is not an easy question to answer and requires a little bit of investigation. California Superior Courts do not have an Adoption law division.  Therefore, you need to find out which branch or division of your county's Superior Court handles Adult Adoption cases by visiting your court's website and search the term “Adoption” in the search bar on the court's website.  California Superior Courts may handle Adult Adoption cases in the Civil Law Division, the Family Law Division, the Probate Law Division, or the Juvenile Law Division.  To make this even more difficult for non-lawyers, at least one major California Superior Court has decided to rename its “Juvenile Division” to be named “Children's Court.”  

Here is a breakdown of some of the major Superior Courts in California and which division or branch of that court handles adult adoption cases:

Los Angeles County Superior Court handles all adult adoption cases in the “Children's Court” building. “Children's Court” is the term that Los Angeles County Superior Court uses for the juvenile law division. The courthouse is named the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Courthouse in Monterey Park, CA. see https://www.lacourt.ca.gov/pages/cp/gi-courthouses-ccj-info

Orange County Superior Court handles all adult adoption cases in the only Family Courthouse in the county. This courthouse is named the Lamoreaux Justice Center or the Lamoreaux Family Courthouse in Orange, CA. see https://www.occourts.org/location/lamoreaux-justice-center

Riverside County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the Family Law Division.  The adult adoption case is filed in the appropriate court location based on the Zip Code of the Petitioner(s) residence.  The Family Law Division courthouses are the Family Law Courthouse in downtown Riverside, CA; the Menifee Justice Center in Menifee, CA; the Larson Justice Center also known as the Indio Courthouse in Indio, CA; and the Blythe Courthouse in Blythe, CA. see https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/divisions/family-law

San Bernardino County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the Family Law Division.  The adult adoption case is filed in the appropriate court location based on the Zip Code of the Petitioner(s) residence.  The Family Law Division courthouses are the main Family Law Division in San Bernardino, CA; the Barstow Courthouse in Barstow, CA; and Joshua Tree Courthouse in Joshua Tree, CA. see https://sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov/divisions/family-law

San Diego County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in either the Juvenile Division of the Central Juvenile Courthouse located in San Diego, CA, or the civil law division of the North Courthouse located in Vista, CA. The adult adoption case is filed in the appropriate court location based on the Zip Code of the Petitioner(s) residence. see https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/sdcourt/generalinformation/courtlocations/juvenilecourt

Ventura County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the Juvenile Courthouse in Oxnard, CA.

Santa Clara County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the Probate Division located in the main Downtown Courthouse in San Jose, CA.

San Mateo County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the San Mateo County Juvenile Court in San Mateo, CA

Sacramento County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the Family Law Courthouse known as the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse located in Sacramento, CA.

San Francisco County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the Unified Family Courthouse, located in San Francisco, CA.

Alameda County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the family law division of the Hayward Justice Center located in Hayward, CA.

Stanislaus County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the family law division of the Superior Courthouse located in Modesto, CA.

Shasta County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the civil law division of the Superior Court located in Redding, CA.

Contra Costa County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases family law division at the Spinetta Family Center courthouse in Martinez, CA.

Placer County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the civil law division of the Placer County Superior Court also known as the Auburn Courthouse located in Auburn, CA.

Marin County Superior Court handles adult adoption cases in the family law division of the Superior Courthouse located in San Rafael, CA.