Judges issue temporary orders on matters such as custody, visitation, and support, but these orders do not become final until trial or settlement. Typically you find dozens of people waiting for the judge, so each case is allotted about ten or fifteen minutes.
Many judges send cases to the court's family service office before they hear the lawyers' arguments.
The office serves as an in-house mediation service staffed by court personnel called Family Service Officers or Probation Officers. Trained as mediators, these court officers are familiar with the issues, and well acquainted with the judges. Judges often rely upon the Family Service Officer for a recommendation, so it pays to listen carefully to the officer.