What's The Process for Filing For Child Support In California?

The process of seeking child support in California has different stages to it. It is advisable to enlist the help of experienced lawyers who practice child support laws in California. The process will require you to fill out a number of detailed information. It is best your lawyer helps you do this.

Child support cases can become quite complex. Self representation should not be considered. You may be a parent seeking or disputing child support, but these are the different stages in the child support process that you need to be aware of.

Filing a request for child support

The filing of a request for child support can be done in 2 ways. Most commonly, the parent seeking child support will have to file an FL-300 form. Or your attorney may want to type out the formal request declaration detailing in legal terms the basis of such a request. Sometimes a child support case may be filed because a local child support agency has approached the California Department of Child Support Services.

Declaring your income and expenditures

A request for child support should have a declaration of the income and expenditures of the parents of the involved child. Failure to provide these critical details will affect the process and outcome of the child support case. The parent seeking support may be denied the requested amount of child support.  The parent opposing the child support request, based on an assumption made by the court about his or her income, may have to pay more.

Serving the request order to the other parent

The other parent is served with the child support request order once the request has been filed. The method of serving the order depends on whether the other parent has already been served with a paternity or divorce petition. It is also greatly influenced by the fact that whether the other parent is a resident of California or not.

Deadline for responding to the order

The parent receiving the request order will have to reply within 9 working days of the court and before the date of the hearing of the child support case.

The hearing 

The court will review the documents submitted by each parent, and listen to testimonies made under oath to make a decision on the child support case. The court will listen to all disputes and issues that are well supported with factual evidence.

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Gerald A. Maggio is an experienced Orange County divorce and family law lawyer and family law attorney located in Irvine, California, serving the Orange County and Riverside areas. Mr. Maggio assists clients with legal issues including divorce, legal separation, divorce mediation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, stepparent adoptions, and other family law issues. Mr. Maggio has practiced law in California since 1999, and founded The Maggio Law Firm in 2005, focusing exclusively on divorce and family law matters.