Short answer. No, not for the very first one. Article 243 of the Family Code has the judge personally conduct the preliminary conference without the parties being assisted by counsel. Counsel may join at later conferences and hearings, but only if the court decides, after that initial conference, that it would be useful.
What the law says
A preliminary conference shall be conducted by the judge personally without the parties being assisted by counsel.
Family Code, Article 243 — Preliminary Conference Without Counsel. Read the full provision →
What the law says
After the initial conference, if the court deems it useful, the parties may be assisted by counsel at the succeeding conferences and hearings.
Family Code, Article 243 — Preliminary Conference Without Counsel. Read the full provision →
The first conference is deliberately lawyer-free
Article 243 does not leave this to the parties' preference. It states that the preliminary conference shall be conducted by the judge personally, and without the parties being assisted by counsel. That is a design choice built into this kind of proceeding, not an option you can opt out of by bringing a lawyer to the first session. The judge runs that conference directly with the parties themselves present.
Why the rule is set up this way
A preliminary conference conducted personally by the judge, without lawyers in the room, tends to move faster and focus on narrowing what is actually in dispute rather than on formal argument. For petitions of this kind, the law favors that kind of direct, expeditious exchange at the outset over the more adversarial posture a hearing with counsel on both sides can produce. It reflects a judgment that some matters benefit from the parties speaking for themselves before positions become entrenched. This speed carries through to the end of the case too: under Article 247, the judgment in this kind of proceeding is immediately final and executory, without the usual periods for appeal or reconsideration that apply to ordinary civil cases.
When counsel can come in
The article does allow for counsel later, but only on two conditions: it has to be after the initial conference, and only if the court deems it useful. Both conditions matter — you cannot bring counsel into the very first session, and even afterward, whether counsel is allowed at all is the court's call rather than something either party can insist on as a matter of right at that stage.
What this means in practice
If your petition falls under this kind of proceeding, do not assume you are unrepresented throughout the case simply because the first conference excludes lawyers. Prepare to speak for yourself at that initial stage, since that is what the rule expects, and raise the question of counsel for later stages once the court has had that first look at the matter. A lawyer can still help you prepare beforehand, even if they cannot sit with you at the preliminary conference itself.