(a) If it appears on the face of a petition, application, or other pleading to obtain or modify a temporary or permanent custody or visitation order that custody, visitation, or both are contested, the court shall set the contested issues for mediation.

(b) Domestic violence cases shall be handled by Family Court Services in accordance with a separate written protocol approved by the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council shall adopt guidelines for services, other than services provided under this chapter, that courts or counties may offer to parents who have been unable to resolve their disputes. These services may include, but are not limited to, parent education programs, booklets, video recordings, or referrals to additional community resources.

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(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2020.

(Repealed (in Sec. 1) and added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 330, Sec. 2. (AB 1692) Effective January 1, 2018. Section operative January 1, 2020, by its own provisions.)