Judge Tierra Jones becomes chief judge of the Eighth Judicial District Court on July 1, 2026, and a new judge will preside over the family division. Here is what changes, what does not, and how to keep your Las Vegas case on track.
Leadership at the court that handles Las Vegas divorce and custody cases is changing this summer. A new chief judge takes the reins on July 1, 2026, a new judge will lead the family division, and a separate administrative order reshuffles a set of civil and criminal departments at the end of June. For most families with an open case, the day to day will not change much, but it helps to know what is happening so you do not miss a beat.
The Eighth Judicial District Court, which serves Clark County, will be led by a new chief judge starting July 1, 2026. Judge Tierra Jones was chosen by a unanimous vote of the court's judges to take the role. She succeeds Judge Jerry Wiese, who held the position for two consecutive two year terms and was term limited from continuing as chief. The chief judge oversees the administration of the court as a whole, including how departments are organized, rather than personally deciding every family case.
Along with the change at the top, the court named Judge Cynthia Giuliani as the presiding judge over the family division. She has served on the court since 2009 and now takes on the job of guiding how family cases are managed across the division. A presiding judge sets the tone and handles administration for that group of departments, but your individual divorce, custody, or support matter still moves forward in the specific department it was assigned to when you filed.
On June 22, 2026, the outgoing and incoming chief judges co signed Administrative Order 26-03, which reassigns a number of cases starting June 29, 2026. That order is focused on civil, criminal, and a new business court pilot, moving certain dockets between departments to accommodate the leadership transition. The published order does not announce a sweeping reshuffle of family division cases, so most family matters stay where they are. If you ever receive a formal notice that your case has been reassigned, that notice is the controlling word on your new department.
An administrative change at the courthouse does not pause your case. Filing deadlines, existing custody schedules, child support payments, and spousal support obligations all stay in force during a leadership transition. If you have a hearing on the calendar, plan to attend unless the court sends you a written notice that it has been moved. If your circumstances have genuinely changed, the path is still to file, not to wait, and our overview of a modification of existing orders explains how that works.
The simplest way to stay oriented is to know your case number and your assigned department, both of which appear on your filed documents and on the court's public case lookup. If you are represented, your attorney monitors the docket and will tell you if anything moves. A change in the judge assigned to your case does not restart it or erase prior orders, and it is not a reason to expect a different outcome. New judges step into existing cases and continue them on the record that already exists. If a ruling has gone the wrong way, the remedy is a proper family law appeal, not a hope that new leadership will revisit it.
Treat this as a good moment to get organized rather than a cause for worry. Keep your contact information current with the court and your attorney so any mailed notice reaches you. Keep following your current orders to the letter, since those remain binding. And if you have been putting off a needed change to custody or support, talk it through before the situation hardens. Helping Hand offers a free, confidential consultation to review your case and your options. Call (702) 605-6347 or reach out through our contact page to speak with a Las Vegas family law attorney. If you are weighing a new child custody and support matter, we can help you understand the steps.
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Not directly. The chief judge handles court administration. Your case continues in the department it was assigned to, before the judge who sits in that department.
Usually not. The June 2026 reassignment order focused on civil, criminal, and business court dockets. If your specific case is ever reassigned, you will receive a written notice that controls your new department.
No. Filing deadlines, custody schedules, and child or spousal support obligations stay in force. Attend any scheduled hearing unless the court notifies you in writing that it has been moved.
A new judge steps into your case on the existing record and continues it. Prior orders remain valid, and a change of judge is not a reason to expect a different result.