California Child Support
- General Information:
Child support is the amount of money that the court
orders one parent to pay the other parent every month
for the support of the child(ren). California has a
formula (called a "guideline") for figuring
out how much child support should be paid in all cases.
If parents can't agree on child support, the judge
will decide the child support amount based on the guideline
calculation.
The guideline calculation depends on:
Child support can also include the cost of special needs
like:
-
Traveling for visitation from 1 parent
to another,
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Educational expenses, and
-
Other special needs.
Parents can agree on a "non-guideline" support
amount if they:
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Know fully their child support rights,
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Know the guideline child support amount,
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Are not pressured or forced to agree
to this child support amount,
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Are not receiving public assistance,
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Have not applied for public assistance,
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Think that the child support amount
is in the best interest of the child(ren), and
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Have a judge approve the amount of
child support payments.
Parents must provide health insurance for their children
if it is available for free or at a reasonable price
through the parents' employment
You can ask for a change in your child support amount
when there is a change in circumstances. For example,
if you change the amount of time you spend with your
child, you ask for a change in your child support.
If the judge ordered a child support amount below the
guideline amount, you can ask to change that amount
at any time. A change in circumstances is NOT required.
Court-ordered child support usually ends when the child:
Parents may agree to support a child longer. The court
may also order that both parents continue to support
a disabled adult child that is not self-supporting
First - Start A Court
Case:
To get support orders for your children, you, the other
parent, or the local child support agency (formerly
the district attorney) must first start a court case.
The kind of case you can start depends on whether or
not you're married to the other parent.
If you are married, you must start one of the following
cases:
If you are not married, you must start one of the following
cases:
-
Domestic Violence Restraining Order
-
Parentage Case
-
Petition for Custody and Support of
Minor Children
-
Local Child Support Agency Enforcement
Case
This section does not contain forms to file any of
these court actions. You will find some of these in
other sections of our free legal forms menu.
When Child Support Orders
May Be Made:
Child support orders may be made at a hearing held
shortly after the filing of the underlying court case
and may be modified any time before the child(ren) turn
eighteen.
Child Support Forms:
| Description |
Form |
| Order to Show
Cause |
FL-300 |
Notice of Motion
|
FL-301 |
| Application for Order and
Supporting Declaration (Family Law-Uniform Parentage) |
FL-310 |
| Child Custody and Visitation
Attachment |
FL-305 |
| Temporary Orders |
FL-305 |
| Income and Expense
Declaration (Family Law) |
FL-150 |
Financial Statement
(Simplified)
|
FL-155 |
| Proof of Personal
Service |
FL-330 |
| Responsive Declaration
to Order to Show Cause or Notice of Motion |
FL-320 |
| Findings and
Order After Hearing (Family Law-Custody and Support-Uniform
Parentage) |
FL-340 |
| Child Custody
and Visitation Order Attachment |
FL-341 |
| Supervised Visitation
Order |
FL-341A |
| Children's Holiday
Schedule Attachment |
FL-341C |
| Attachment Provisions
- Physical Custody Attachment |
FL-341D |
| Joint Legal Custody
Attachment |
FL-341E |
| Child Support
Information and Order Attachment |
FL-342 |
| Notice of Rights
and Responsibilities - Health Care Costs and Reimbursement
Procedures, and Information Sheet on Changing a
Child Support Order |
FL-192 |
| Stipulation and
Order for Custody and/or visitation |
FL-355 |
| Child Support
Case Registry Form |
FL-191 |
| Order/Notice
to Withhold Income for Child Support |
FL-195 |
| Additional Page-Attach
to Judicial Council Form or Other Court Paper |
MC-020 |
- Gene
Kinsey
|
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