A. Subject to the availability of funds, any district or municipal court of record of this state may establish and maintain a domestic violence court program pursuant to the provisions of this section.
B. For purposes of this section, "domestic violence court" means a specialized judicial process for domestic matters both civil and criminal in nature that arise out of the same family or domestic circumstance.
C. The presiding judge of a district or municipal court of record may appoint an individual judge to preside over related criminal, family and matrimonial matters that arise in the context of domestic violence. Criminal domestic violence charges, protective orders and any actions for divorce, separate maintenance, guardianship, adoption or any other proceeding involving custody or visitation between the same parties may be presented to the domestic violence court.
D. The Administrative Office of the Courts may promulgate rules, procedures and forms necessary to implement a domestic violence court to ensure statewide uniformity.
Added by Laws 2017, c. 257, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.