Family Law: General Information
Family Law Fillable Forms Can Be Filed With The Court Electronically at No Additional Cost.
Start or respond to a divorce, legal separation, nullity or paternity case with easy to use, fillable, “SmartForms” that can be completed and submitted to the Court 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any computer that has access to the Internet.
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Family Law at a Glance
- Starting a Dissolution of Marriage or Registered Domestic Partnership,
- Establishing Parentage,
- Determining child custody and visitation issues,
- Establishing or enforcing child and spousal support, or
- Dealing with domestic violence or elder abuse issues.
Family Law matters for Orange County are filed at the Lamoreaux Justice Center, 341 The City Drive South, 7th Floor, Orange, CA 92683-4593; phone (657) 622-6069.
Self-Help Centers and Workshops
Contact the Self-Help Center at one of the following Justice Centers for procedural guidance and information. Additionally, view the Self-Help Center’s Workshops page for workshop times and dates.
Self-Help Center Locations:- Central Justice Center: First Floor, Room 100-A
- 700 Civic Center Dr. West, Santa Ana, CA 92701
- Harbor Justice Center - Laguna Hills Facility: Second Floor, Room 202
- 23141 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
- Lamoreaux Justice Center: First Floor, Room 101
- 341 The City Dr. South, Orange, CA 92868
- North Justice Center: Upper Level, Room 360
- 1275 North Berkeley Ave., Fullerton, CA 92838
- West Justice Center: First Floor
- 8141 13th St., Westminster, CA 92683
Hours: 8:00am-4:00pm, Monday-Thursday; 8:00am-3:00pm, Friday.
Family Law Facilitator
The Family Law Facilitator is an experienced Family Law attorney who works for the Superior Court of Orange County. They are restricted to assisting with issues relating to child and spousal support, and health insurance in existing cases.
The Family Law Facilitator is not your attorney. There is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Family Law Facilitator. The Facilitator is neutral and can help you as well as the other party (for example, your former spouse, the parent of your child, etc.). If you want help with your case strategy, you should consult with a private attorney for legal advice.
For more information, go to the Family Law Facilitator section of this website.
Family Law Division Court Staff
The Family Law Division court staff can assist you in person or by phone with forms, filing documents, and procedural matters Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm. They are located on the 7th floor of the Lamoreaux Justice Center, 341 The City Drive South, Orange, CA; phone (657) 622-6069.
Family Law Forms and Laws
Copy And Record Search Requests
What if I Have a Disability and Need Special Accommodations?
If you have a disability and need help, you will need to fill out a Request for Accommodations by Persons with Disabilities (MC-410) form and file it with the court as soon as possible, but at least five days before the hearing date. You can read about how to request an accommodation on the ADA section of this website.
What if I Need an Interpreter?
By law, in California all official court business must be conducted in English. When one of the parties or witnesses in a case does not speak English well, that person will need a court interpreter (who speaks English and the non-English speaker’s first language) so he or she can understand what is going on and talk to the judge.
In some cases (like criminal cases) the interpreter is paid for by the court and may be a court employee. However, in civil cases, with the exception of domestic violence proceedings and hearings for support involving the Department of Child Support Services in Family Law cases, the person needing the interpreter must get and pay for his or her own interpreter or get a friend to help interpret. It is your responsibility to get your own interpreter. You can ask a friend, relative, or someone else to interpret for you when you go to court. Do not ask a child to interpret for you.
Keep in mind that just because someone you know speaks both English and your first language does not mean he or she would be a good interpreter. A court interpreter needs to be familiar with legal terms and concepts in both English and your first language, and most people are not. That is why it is very important you have an interpreter with experience. If you decide to use a noncertified or nonregistered interpreter, such as a friend or relative, have the person read the instructions and duties for interpreting in the information sheet called Foreign Language Interpreter’s Duties-Civil and Small Claims (INT-200)
.
To make sure you get an experienced court interpreter, you should consider a professional interpreter who has passed the required examinations and has officially registered and been approved as a court interpreter by the Judicial Council of California.
There are 2 types of officially-approved court interpreters in California:
Certified court interpreters: Only interpreters who pass the Court Interpreter Certification Examination and register with the Judicial Council are referred to as “certified" in these 13 languages:
American Sign Language, Arabic, Cantonese, Eastern Armenian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Western Armenian.
Registered court interpreters: Interpreters of spoken languages for which there is no state certifying examination are called “registered interpreters of non-designated languages.” They must pass an English proficiency examination, and register with the state’s Judicial Council.
The California Courts website has a list of certified and registered interpreters for oral interpretation. Certified and registered interpreters may also translate documents, however, the California Courts does not test or certify an interpreter's written translation skills. The American Translators Association can also interpret documents.
Using a court interpreter can be awkward because you have to go through another person to get your information or talk to the judge. Follow these tips when using an interpreter in a courtroom:
- Listen carefully to the interpreter.
- Wait for the interpreter to finish talking before you answer.
- Speak slowly so the interpreter can hear everything you say.
Do not interrupt, even if someone in court says something bad about you. You will get a chance to speak.
Note: There are also American Sign Language interpreters and real time captioning for parties and witnesses that are deaf or hard-of-hearing (or have another disability). The court will provide a sign language interpreter or court reporter for you or other accommodation you may need. You can read more about this in the For Persons With Disabilities Requesting Accommodations section of this website to learn about the court's policy for accommodating persons with disabilities. Make your request as soon as possible, but at least 5 days prior to the hearing.
Can I Bring Children To Court?
Children may be brought to the court and may stay in "Children’s Chambers" while their caregivers are conducting business with the court. Children’s Chambers is a safe drop-in center for children that lets children be children instead of spending long sessions listening to adult interactions that could be painful or frightening.
You can read more about which courts offer a Children’s Chambers and the guidelines.
Family Court Fees
The State Legislature decides what the fees are to file different kinds of Family Law forms. View the Current Fees.
If you are getting public benefits, are a low-income person, or do not have enough income to pay for your household’s basic needs and your court fees, you may ask the court to waive all or part of your court fees. For more information, go to Fee Waivers.
Resources Concerning Children
- The Family Court Services of Superior Court of Orange County has developed a Parenting Plan Guideline
.