There's no rule in CA about how quickly one can access the courts; there's no 10 or 15 day maximum.
The court decides, and they use a first come, first serve, unless the parties agree otherwise. Even so, the calendar is generally full at least 3-4 weeks in advance.
When I go file motion papers (in effect requesting a hearing), I don't ever recall getting a hearing (when one has been granted, which is much less than 100% of the time) in less than 3 weeks.
At least that's my personal understanding of how it works.
I'm sure there's good attorneys in SD, and by some diligence with the internet and the phone book, your friend will find a good attorney for his purpose. Personally, I don't know any family attorneys in that area, but if he's having trouble, shoot me an email and I'll give you some names around SF area, and you can ask them for referrals in SD area.
Your friend could also contact the State Bar of CA to get a referral.
Good Lukc.