Ryan Farr v. Cesalee Venema

1 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA 2 COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO 3 UNIFIED FAMILY COURT 4

5) 6 RYAN FARR,) Case Number: FDI-16-785725) 7 Petitioner) Hearing Date: April 14, 2026) 8 VS.) Hearing Time: 9:00 AM) 9 CESALEE VENEMA,) Department: 404) 10 Respondent) Presiding: AI MORI) 11) 12 OTHER REVIEW HEARING 13 TENTATIVE RULING 14 Having read and considered the pleadings, declarations, and other evidence submitted in this matter, the 15 Court makes the following findings and orders: 16 A. Procedural History 17 1) Petitioner Ryan Farr (Father) and Respondent Cesalee Venema (Mother) have two minor children 18 together, Tanner (DOB 9/20/2009, age 16) and Scarlett (DOB 3/27/2012, age 14). 19 2) On 12/18/2025, Father filed an ex parte request for a change in custody and parenting time.

The 20 parties appeared at the ex parte hearing and informed the Court that they were able to reach an 21 agreement. The Court ordered the parties to submit the stipulation and proposed order to the 22 Court for its review and signature. 23 3) On 1/18/2026, a Stipulation and Order was filed granting Father temporary “full physical 24 custody” of the children effective 12/16/2025, with parenting time for Mother as set forth in the 25 Stipulation and Order (no overnights). The Stipulation and Order provides that Mother’s 26 parenting time may be modified once she obtains “stable housing” and “stable employment” as 27 those terms are defined.

The Stipulation and Order contains various other terms, including an 28 order for Father to advance three months’ child support in the amount of $9,300 for the purpose 29 of allowing Mother to secure stable housing no further north than Cotati, near a SMART station.

1 The Stipulation and Order requires Mother to use the $9,300 for these purposes only and also 2 requires her to submit receipts of payment for her initial rent deposit and subsequent monthly rent 3 payments. 4 4) Father has filed an update declaration in which he states that he has maintained temporary fully 5 physical custody of the children, who are doing well in his home. Their academic performance 6 has improved, and they are engaged in and doing well in their sports and are sleeping better.

He 7 requests a fixed weekly visitation schedule for Mother on Saturdays, between 9am and 11am to 8 some time between 7pm and 9pm, with pick up and drop off at his residence. He states he 9 advanced $9,300 to Mother but that she has failed to provide receipts, documentation, or an 10 accounting of how those funds were used. Father states that Mother has also not submitted 11 employment verification as required by the Stipulation and Order. He states that the previously 12 ordered Brief Focused Assessment (BFA) has also not occurred; he notes that his interview with 13 Dr.

Lindsey is scheduled for 4/30/2026 and that Mother has not yet scheduled her interview or 14 made any appointments with Dr. Lindsey. Father also seeks final custody orders under 15 Montenegro v. Diaz (2001) 26 Cal.4th 249 (Montenegro orders). 16 5) Mother has not filed an update declaration as of the date of this tentative ruling. 17 B. Findings and Orders 18 1) This Court has jurisdiction to make child custody orders in this case under the Uniform Child 19 Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

A violation of this order may subject the party in 20 violation to civil or criminal penalties, or both. The country of habitual residence of the minor 21 children is the United States. 22 2) The Court finds it is in the children's best interest to maintain the current order for temporary sole 23 legal and sole physical custody to Father. The Court will not issue Montenegro orders at this time. 24 3) Mother shall have parenting time with the children every Saturday from 10am to 7pm, with pick 25 up and drop off at Father's home, curbside.

If Mother is more than 30 minutes late in picking the 26 children up, the visit will be canceled unless the parties agree to modify the visitation time. If the 27 parties cannot reach an agreement to modify the visitation time, the visit will be canceled and 28 there will be no makeup visits unless the parties agree to reschedule the visit. 29

1 4) Mother shall immediately comply with the terms of the 1/15/2026 Stipulation and Order, 2 including providing receipts relating to housing and documents relating to employment. If Mother 3 is unable to provide these documents or otherwise comply with the terms of the Stipulation and 4 Order, she shall inform Father of the reasons she is unable to comply. Mother shall contact Dr. 5 Lindsey on or before 4/20/2026 to schedule her interview or make any other appointments 6 necessary to ensure the prompt completion of the BFA. 7 5) Father’s counsel shall prepare the Findings and Order After Hearing. 8 6) Preparation of Order: If you are directed by the court to prepare the order after hearing – within 9 10 calendar days of the hearing you must either: (a) Serve the proposed order to the other 10 party/counsel for approval, and follow the procedures set forth in CA Rules of Court, Rule 11 5.125(c), or (b) If the other party did not appear or the matter was uncontested, submit the 12 proposed order after hearing directly to the court.

Failure to submit the order after hearing within 13 10 days may allow the other party to prepare a proposed order and submit it to the court in 14 accordance with CA Rules of Court, Rule 5.125(d). 15

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