Same State Court, but Different System

My first, and probably last, encounter with the Fresno County Family Court has been interesting. Apparently, Fresno County segregates family law cases where the parties are in pro per (i.e., not being represented by an attorney). Hearings for such cases are heard by a rotating panel of temporary judges and commissioners, and they are held on Fridays in a courtroom that is normally used for small claims actions. In short, in pro per family law cases in Fresno County seem to almost be treated like, well, small claims cases. I'm not saying whether it's bad or good. Just different.