Idaho Coordinated Family Services and Domestic Violence Courts

Part of my Idaho Family Law Overview.

By Ronald W. Brilliant, Attorney at Law · Licensed in Idaho, Nevada & California · Last reviewed: September 2026 against the Idaho Code as posted by the Idaho Legislature (July 1, 2026)

In This TopicIdaho Family LawTopic 9 of 9: Family Court Services

Some Idaho families have more than one court case at the same time. The legislature has found that children and family members are increasingly involved in more than one court proceeding, including juvenile corrections, domestic violence, domestic relations, adoption, and child protection cases (Idaho Code § 32-1401). Chapter 14 of Title 32, “Coordinated Family Services,” addresses the need to coordinate these cases and related family services (§ 32-1401).

Chapter 14 mostly states the legislature’s findings and purposes and gives the Idaho Supreme Court authority to organize and fund these services. It may matter to anyone going through a divorce or custody case that overlaps with other court cases.

What the Legislature Wants Family Court Services to Do

The legislature declared that an effective response to the needs of these families and children would include the following (Idaho Code § 32-1402):

• Flexible case management for families in multiple court cases, to use time and resources efficiently and avoid conflicting court orders (§ 32-1402(1));
• More nonadversarial dispute resolution, including mediation of child custody and visitation disputes and alternative dispute resolution assessments (§ 32-1402(2));
• Coordinating family disputes with related juvenile and criminal cases (§ 32-1402(3));
• A family court services coordinator to connect families with resources, give the court assessment information for early case resolution, and hold workshops on the effects of high-conflict disputes on children, children’s developmental needs, and parenting plans and mediation (§ 32-1402(4));
• A court assistance officer to help parties without a lawyer understand court requirements, including educational materials, court forms, help completing forms, information about procedures, and referrals to agencies (§ 32-1402(5));
• A domestic violence court coordinator to help a domestic violence court operate effectively and to serve victims and families in its proceedings (§ 32-1402(6));
• Supervised visitation by trained providers where certain risk factors are identified (§ 32-1402(7)); and
• Other methods that promote timely and effective resolution of related disputes (§ 32-1402(8)).

Role of the Idaho Supreme Court

The Supreme Court may set up a committee of representatives of the judicial, executive, and legislative branches to implement a coordinated family court services plan (Idaho Code § 32-1403). The committee recommends policies and procedures for the Supreme Court to adopt (§ 32-1403).

Subject to the legislature’s appropriation power, the Supreme Court administers and allocates funding for children and family court services to each judicial district that submits an appropriate plan (Idaho Code § 32-1405). The Supreme Court must also study the effectiveness of family court services funding and report the results to the governor and the legislature by the first day of the legislative session (§ 32-1404).

Fees for Court Assistance Services

The Supreme Court may set a statewide uniform fee schedule to help counties cover the cost of legal forms, written materials, training on forms, and other services provided through court assistance offices and coordinated family services (Idaho Code § 32-1406(1)). The fees must be reasonably related to, and may not exceed, the actual costs (§ 32-1406(1)).

The Supreme Court must provide a full or partial fee waiver for people who are unable to pay (Idaho Code § 32-1406(2)). The fees are collected by the clerk of the district court in the county where the services are provided (§ 32-1406(3)).

Background Checks for Coordinators

Before appointment, a family court services coordinator or domestic violence court coordinator must submit, at his or her own cost, to a fingerprint-based criminal history check through a law enforcement office in Idaho that provides the service (Idaho Code § 32-1407). The check includes a statewide criminal identification bureau check, an FBI criminal history check, child abuse registry, adult protection registry, and statewide sex offender registry checks (§ 32-1407).

Domestic Violence Courts

The legislature found that families experiencing domestic violence are often involved in more than one court proceeding, and that effective case management and coordination ensure that decisions in one case do not conflict with existing orders in other civil and criminal cases (Idaho Code § 32-1408(1)-(2)). The district court in each county may establish a domestic violence court under policies adopted by the Supreme Court (§ 32-1409(1)). No person has a right to be admitted into a domestic violence court (§ 32-1409(3)).

A person found guilty of, or who pleads guilty to, certain listed offenses must pay a $30.00 fee to help fund domestic violence courts (Idaho Code § 32-1410(1)). The list includes domestic violence under § 18-918, violation of a no contact order under § 18-920, attempted strangulation under § 18-923, and a number of alcohol- and substance-related offenses (§ 32-1410(1)(a)-(z)).

How I Can Help

When a family law case overlaps with a protection order, a criminal case, or a child protection matter, I help clients understand how the cases fit together and work to avoid conflicting orders. I also help clients prepare for mediation of custody and visitation issues. Request a consultation to discuss your situation.

This page provides general information about Idaho family law, based on the Idaho Code, and is not legal advice. Court rules (including the Idaho Child Support Guidelines), regulations, and case law also affect family law matters. Every situation is different; consult an attorney about yours. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.