Mission & History
The Family & Children's Law Center (FACLC) enables children and families to enjoy a more successful future by helping them to navigate the legal system. We provide high-quality, low-cost legal services to children and families on matters ranging from domestic violence and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status predicate orders to child custody and support. We are advocates for the needs and rights of children and serve all forms of families.
FACLC has a history that mirrors the growth and development of Marin County. It was born from the spirit of our diverse community members and has grown and flourished because of their commitment to our mission.
Founded in 1985 by Bonnie Hough (Principal Managing Attorney for the Center for Families, Children & the Courts of the Judicial Council of California), Judge Verna A. Adams (Judge with Marin County Superior Court), and pioneer family law attorney Ann Diamond as a way for women to access low-cost legal family law services.
At the time of its inception our organization was named the Family Law Center and was our response an issue our founders came across in their practice. This issue was that women in the community did not have the same access to justice and counsel as their breadwinning spouses. FACLC wished to fill this gap in services. If the case involved domestic violence, this financial control became more apparent and required more advocacy from FACLC. In 2003, we reassessed our service model and needs of the community and decided to broaden our scope. Because of our dedication to helping low-income families navigate the legal system, and our increasing focus and support of children, we changed our name to The Family & Children's Law Center, which reflects the services we provide today to the underserved adults and children of Marin County.
In recent years, the type of client we see has been changing. More of our clients have complex legal issues, ranging from dividing pensions to custody issues in which one or both parents have substance abuse or mental health issues.
Our Commitments
- As our highest priority, we're dedicated to helping children and families successfully resolve the divisive issues of divorce and paternity, including custody, visitation, support, uncontested guardianship and stepparent adoptions, with minimal disruption to the well-being of family members.
- We will focus on the needs of children by representing their best interests in the legal system.
- We will work closely and collaboratively with other community-based providers to assure that families and children, clients and non-clients in need, have access to services aimed at stabilizing their family situations.
- We will maintain a core staff to address the on-going needs of our clients.
- We will increase our capacity to support core programs and operations through fundraising and earned revenue.