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Judgment (Family Law)

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California · Cannot enter sooner than 6 months and 1 day after respondent was served.

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    What is FL-180?

    California Judicial Council mandatory-use Judgment for dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership, legal separation, or nullity. The petitioner (or attorney) prepares this form, including the form-title disposition checkboxes (DISSOLUTION / LEGAL SEPARATION / NULLITY plus any sub-option), the proceeding type in item 2 (most pro se filers use 'By declaration under Family Code section 2336'), the jurisdictional acknowledgement in item 3, and the requested orders in items 4a-4o. The judicial officer signs at the bottom of page 1; the date in 4a(1), the children-support flag in 4h, and any disposition checkbox in items 4j-4n become operative once the judge signs. Each attachment listed under 4j-4n is incorporated into the judgment by reference. FL-180 is filed with FL-170 (Declaration for Default or Uncontested Dissolution) plus FL-130 (Appearance, Stipulations, and Waivers) for an uncontested case, or FL-825 (Stipulated Judgment) for a stipulated path.

    What happens if you miss the deadline: There is no penalty for filing FL-180 'late'; the case stays open until a judgment enters. The risk runs the other way: if a default has been entered but no judgment is requested, the court may dismiss the case under California Rules of Court rule 3.110 for failure to prosecute, and the petitioner has to refile.

    How to file

    Filing fee
    No separate filing fee. FL-180 is filed inside the existing FL-100 case; the case's first-appearance fee (typically $435 to $450 in 2026, varies by county) covered the case at intake. Indigent filers who paid via FW-001 fee waiver continue under that waiver.
    Filing method
    in-person at the family-law clerk window, mail, efile (county-specific; many CA counties have e-filing for family-law judgment packages)
    Filing deadline
    No statutory filing deadline, but FL-180 cannot ENTER sooner than 6 months and 1 day from the date the respondent was served with the FL-100 / FL-110 (Family Code section 2339(a)). For an uncontested default, the typical timeline is: respondent served on day 0; 30-day response window ends on day 30; petitioner files Request to Enter Default (CIV-100) on or after day 31; petitioner submits the judgment package (FL-170 + FL-180 + attachments) any time after that, but the judgment cannot be entered before day 184 (6 months and 1 day after service).
    How to serve
    Once the judge signs FL-180, the clerk mails FL-190 (Notice of Entry of Judgment) to both parties. The petitioner does NOT separately serve FL-180; the clerk's FL-190 mailing is the operative service. If a non-party (e.g., a retirement plan administrator) needs a certified copy, the petitioner orders one from the clerk and sends it directly.
    Wet signature
    No
    Notarization
    No
    Original and copies
    1 original to the clerk; bring 2 endorsed copies stamped by the clerk for your records and to send to any third party (retirement plan, mortgage lender) that needs proof of the judgment.

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    Other Ezel-supported forms that commonly file alongside FL-180. Each one has its own guided fill, AI review, and PDF render.

    FL-100
    Petition (Marriage/Domestic Partnership)
    Petition (Marriage/Domestic Partnership). FL-180 closes the dissolution, legal separation, or nullity case that FL-100 opened. The caption, case number, parties, and case type (dissolution / legal separation / nullity, checked at FL-100 item 1.a and FL-180 item 1.a) must match exactly between the two filings; a mismatched FL-180 is bounced by the clerk at prove-up review under California Rules of Court rule 5.405. The substantive relief in FL-180 is bounded by the relief the petitioner requested on FL-100: in a default judgment under Code of Civil Procedure section 580 (the petitioner can never recover more than what was demanded in the complaint, applied to family-law dissolution through the FC 2330.5 / FL-100 itemization), the petitioner cannot ask the judge to grant an order the respondent was never warned about on the served FL-100 (for example, FL-100 item 8 must check the property-division box if the petitioner wants FL-180 to divide property in a default case; the missed check is the most common default-bounce reason). In a contested case the parties' stipulated terms or trial findings shape FL-180 instead, but the FL-100 still anchors the case-type and jurisdictional facts. The FL-100 service date on FL-115 (proof of service of FL-110 + FL-100) is the anchor for the 6-month cooling-off period under FC 2339(a); FL-180 cannot be entered sooner than 184 days after that service date even by stipulation, except under the FC 2337 bifurcation carve-out that severs the marital-status piece on a faster track while reserving property and support. After FL-180 enters, the dissolution becomes final 6 months after FL-110 service OR on FL-180 entry (whichever is later), and the parties may remarry.
     FL-110
    Summons (Family Law)
    Summons (Family Law). FL-110 is what put the respondent on notice of the FL-100 petition that this FL-180 closes under California Rules of Court rule 5.50 (Family Law Summons procedure); the personal-service date documented on FL-115 (Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt) or by separate POS-040 / FL-330 personal-service proof or by Sheriff/Marshal return is the jurisdictional anchor for FL-180 item 3 (Jurisdictional Date) and the start of the 6-month-and-1-day cooling-off period under Family Code section 2339(a) (no judgment of dissolution to be entered before six months from date of service of FL-110 on respondent under FC 2339(a); the period was extended from 6 months for civil divorce by the 1969 enactment as a cooling-off period for marital reconciliation). Marital status cannot terminate until 184 calendar days after the FL-110 service date even by stipulated FL-180, even on a short-cause judgment; clerks calendar the math at entry under CRC 5.405(b) and reject early-filed FL-180s that try to dissolve status sooner (In re Marriage of McLain 86 Cal.App.3d 728 (1978) (FC 2339 cooling-off period is statutory and not subject to waiver even by both parties' stipulation)). FC 2339(b) carves narrow exceptions (death of either party during the cooling-off period, in which case dissolution proceeds notwithstanding the 184-day floor; fraud or other equitable basis under In re Marriage of Modnick 33 Cal.3d 897 (1983)) that almost never apply in routine cases. Ancillary orders on custody, child support, spousal support, and property division can be entered before the 184 days run by bifurcation under FC 2337 (status-only bifurcation): the court signs a partial FL-180 on FL-315 (Status-Only Bifurcation Order) reserving the marital-status piece until the cooling-off period clears, which is common when one party needs custody or support orders on an expedited schedule, with FC 2337(b)-(h) imposing conditions including indemnification for health insurance under FC 2337(c)(1)(B), retirement-benefits election under FC 2337(c)(5)(A), and tax-consequence advisement (In re Marriage of Holladay 168 Cal.App.4th 932 (2008); In re Marriage of Lafkas 153 Cal.App.4th 1429 (2007)). The summons also imposed automatic temporary restraining orders (ATROs) on both parties under Family Code section 2040(a) from the date FL-110 was served forward (and as to the petitioner from the date FL-100 was filed under FC 2040(a) read with Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 412.20(a)(3) summons-acknowledgment-rule), restricting (1) asset transfers (FC 2040(a)(1) prohibits any party from removing, encumbering, transferring, concealing, or disposing of any property real or personal except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life), (2) insurance changes (FC 2040(a)(2) prohibits cashing, borrowing against, canceling, transferring, disposing of, or changing the beneficiaries of any insurance or other coverage including life, health, automobile, and disability), (3) party borrowing against community property (FC 2040(a)(3)), and (4) child relocation (FC 2040(a)(4) prohibits removal of any minor child from the state, or applying for a new or replacement passport for the child, without prior written consent of the other party or court order); those ATROs remain in force until the court signs FL-180, which supersedes them with the judgment's own property division under FC 2550 (equal-division presumption) and any orders affecting insurance or property under FC 2024.5. If the case proceeds by default (respondent missed the 30-day FC 2020 / CCP 412.20(a)(3) response window measured from FL-110 service, or 40 days if served by FL-117 acknowledgment with 20-day extra), the FL-115 (or POS-040) date is also the anchor for the FL-165 (Request to Enter Default) default-judgment posture under CRC 5.405(a) (clerk-entered default upon expiration of response window and filing of FL-165 with appropriate supporting documents). The FL-165 default request is jurisdictional under FC 2330(b) (dissolution petition must show jurisdictional facts including FL-110 service date) and CCP 585 (default judgment authority for failure to respond). Note: the 6-month cooling-off period under FC 2339(a) applies only to dissolution; legal separation under FC 2310(b) and nullity under FC 2200 / 2201 do not require the 6-month wait.
     FL-120
    Response (Marriage/Domestic Partnership)
    Response (Marriage/Domestic Partnership). The FL-120 on file is what marks the contested-judgment path through FL-180. Item 3.a on FL-180 is checked for a true default (respondent never appeared); item 3.b is checked when the respondent appeared by FL-120 and the case resolves either by stipulated judgment under Family Code section 2336 or by trial. Even on a contested track, FL-180 cannot be entered sooner than 184 days after FL-110 was served on the respondent under the 6-month cooling-off bar at FC 2339(a) (anchored on the FL-115 proof-of-service date); the parties cannot stipulate around the cooling-off period for the marital-status piece, though they can bifurcate under FC 2337 to enter custody, support, property, and fee orders on an earlier signed FL-180 with the marital-status piece reserved. Both parties' preliminary AND final declarations of disclosure (FL-141 on file documenting FL-142 / FL-160 + FL-150 service in each direction) are gating conditions for FL-180 entry under FC 2104(a) / 2105(a); the parties may stipulate to waive the final declaration under FC 2105(d) but not the preliminary. The respondent who appeared by FL-120 has standing to object to any FL-180 the petitioner offers for entry, so a stipulated FL-180 requires the respondent's signature on the judgment itself or on an attached marital settlement agreement; the petitioner cannot enter a contested FL-180 over an appearing respondent's objection without trial or prove-up. FL-120 also triggers respondent's parallel disclosure clock under FC 2104(f) (60 days from FL-120 filing to serve FL-142/FL-150) so FL-180 timing depends on both clocks aligning.
     FL-141
    Declaration Regarding Service of Declaration of Disclosure and Income and Expense Declaration
    Declaration Regarding Service of Declaration of Disclosure. FL-141 is the procedural gate FL-180 cannot pass in a dissolution or legal separation: under Family Code section 2105(a) the court will not enter FL-180 until each party's FL-141 confirming final disclosure is on file, with the narrow exception in FC 2107(c) where the petitioner may waive the right to receive the respondent's final disclosure in a default-with-no-agreement case (true defaults under FC 2110 where the respondent never filed FL-120). Two FL-141 filings per party in the ordinary course: preliminary-disclosure FL-141 (item 1 box, under FC 2104(a) within 60 days of filing the petition or response under FC 2104(f)) and final-disclosure FL-141 (item 2 box, before FL-180 prove-up under FC 2105(a)); the preliminary FL-141 is necessary but not sufficient for FL-180 entry, and the final FL-141 is what unlocks FL-180 signing. Stipulated waivers of final disclosure under FC 2105(d) require both parties to sign FL-144 and file it alongside the petitioner's FL-141 that documents preliminary-only disclosure; preliminary disclosure cannot be waived under any circumstances. FL-141 itself stays in the public court file; the underlying FL-142 / FL-150 / FL-160 disclosure schedules do NOT go in the file under FC 2104(b), so the clerk's prove-up review verifies only that the FL-141 boxes confirming exchange are checked, not the substantive content of what was exchanged. The single most common prove-up bounce is a missing final FL-141: parties filed preliminary FL-141 forms but never served the final FL-142 / FL-150 or never signed FL-144. The cure is to serve final disclosure (or stipulate to FL-144) and lodge a fresh FL-141 before resubmitting FL-180 under California Rules of Court rule 5.405.
     FL-150
    Income and Expense Declaration
    Income and Expense Declaration. Required preliminary and final disclosure under Family Code section 2104(a) and section 2105(a) (each spouse exchanges FL-150 with FL-142 or FL-160 within 60 days of filing the petition / response and again before judgment); independently required in any support case under FC 3552 whether or not support is contested. The FL-180 support orders are calculated FROM the FL-150 numbers: child support follows the FC 4055 guideline formula CS = K[HN - (H%)(TN)] where HN and TN are the high- and total-earner net disposable income from FL-150, and spousal support follows the FC 4320 multi-factor analysis where the FL-150 income, expense, and marital-standard-of-living disclosures supply the substrate for the marketable-skills, ability-to-pay, and reasonable-needs findings. California Rules of Court rule 5.260(a)(3) requires the FL-150 attached to the FL-180 prove-up packet to be current within 90 days of the hearing; a stale FL-150 is the most common reason default-judgment prove-ups bounce back at the clerk window. The FL-141 declaration of disclosure (FC 2105(a) gate) is what places the FL-150 in the file as a disclosure document; FL-180 cannot enter until each party's preliminary AND final FL-150 / FL-142 / FL-160 exchange is proven by FL-141 (or final disclosure waived by FL-144 under FC 2105(d); preliminary cannot be waived). FC 2107(c) carves out a default-petitioner-only path when the respondent never appeared; the petitioner's FL-150 must still have been served on the defaulted respondent and proven by FL-141. FL-150 attached to FL-180 prove-up stays in a confidential sealed envelope under FC 3552(a); the entered FL-180 recites the resulting support amount but does not republish the underlying income figures.
     FL-142
    Schedule of Assets and Debts
    Schedule of Assets and Debts. Required preliminary and final disclosure under Family Code section 2104(a)/(c) and FC 2105(a)/(c), exchanged between the spouses but never filed with the court (FC 2104(b) and CRC 5.405(c); the FL-142 face itself warns 'DO NOT FILE WITH THE COURT'). Only the FL-141 proof of service of the FL-142 + FL-150 packet appears in the court file. FL-180 cannot enter in a dissolution or legal separation until both parties' FL-141 forms are on file confirming each side's preliminary AND final disclosure exchange (or until the final disclosure is waived by mutual stipulation on FL-144 under FC 2105(d); preliminary disclosure is NEVER waivable under Marriage of McLain, 7 Cal.App.5th 262, and Marriage of Steiner & Hosseini, 117 Cal.App.4th 519). Statutory architecture of disclosure. FC 2100 declares public policy: 'It is the policy of the State of California (a) to marshal, preserve, and protect community and quasi-community assets and liabilities ... (b) to provide for fair and sufficient child and spousal support awards (c) to ensure fair and sufficient disclosure of all assets, liabilities, and income.' FC 2102 imposes a continuing duty of disclosure through final judgment (includes updating disclosures when material facts change between preliminary and final exchange). FC 2103 makes preliminary AND final disclosure mandatory. FC 2104 governs the preliminary declaration; FC 2104(c)(1)-(4) requires: identification of all assets in which the declarant has an interest (community, quasi-community, or separate); identification of all liabilities; statement of all assets and debts to the extent known by reasonable investigation; and the prior two years' personal and business tax returns. FC 2105 governs the final declaration with current values, current debts, current income, and all material facts and information regarding valuation and characterization of all assets and liabilities (FC 2105(c)(1)-(4)). FC 2106 prohibits the court from entering judgment without proof of service of disclosure or valid mutual waiver of final under FL-144. FL-180 prove-up requirements. The clerk reviewing an FL-180 default or uncontested packet checks the file for two preliminary FL-141s (one from each side or one from petitioner alone in true default under FC 2107(c)) and two final FL-141s (or two final FL-141s referencing FL-144 mutual waiver). The clerk does NOT verify the substantive completeness of FL-142 or FL-150 themselves (those stay between the parties under FC 2104(b)); the clerk confirms only that the FL-141 item 1 and item 2 boxes are checked and that the service date appears. A missing or defective FL-141 is the most common cause of FL-180 rejection at the clerk's prove-up review window; the cure is to serve the missing FL-142 / FL-150 (or sign FL-144) and lodge a fresh FL-141 before resubmitting FL-180 under CRC 5.405. True default carve under FC 2107(c). In a true-default case under FC 2110 (where the respondent never filed FL-120 or any other response and there is no marital settlement agreement) the petitioner may proceed to FL-180 without the respondent's FL-142, because the respondent never appeared and FC 2107(c) excuses receipt of the missing reciprocal disclosure (renumbered to FC 2008 in 2025 reorganization). But the petitioner's own FL-142 still has to have been served on the defaulted respondent and proven by the petitioner's FL-141 (both preliminary and final) before the court signs FL-180. Marriage of Steiner & Hosseini (117 Cal.App.4th 519) confirms 2107(c) does NOT relieve the petitioner of the affirmative duty to serve final disclosure on a defaulted respondent. Alternative formats. FL-160 (Property Declaration) is an acceptable substitute for FL-142 when the case is property-heavy (multiple assets per category) under FC 2105(c)(2); FL-161 is the continuation page for FL-160. Either FL-142 OR FL-160-plus-FL-161 satisfies the schedule-of-assets-and-debts requirement. MC-025 (Attachment) can also supplement narrative descriptions but does not replace the structured grid. The substantive property division reflected in FL-180 (typically itemized on attached FL-160 or recited in a Marital Settlement Agreement attached to FL-180 item 4.l) is built directly from the FL-142 / FL-160 disclosures. Set-aside exposure for concealment. Concealment of a community asset on FL-142 (or failure to update FL-142 between preliminary and final exchange) is a powerful set-aside ground under multiple overlapping doctrines: (a) FC 2122(e) mistake of fact or law, used where the non-disclosing spouse's omission caused the other spouse to enter a stipulated judgment based on incorrect information; (b) FC 2122(f) failure to comply with the disclosure requirements (a stand-alone set-aside ground with NO outside time bar, only the 1-year-from-discovery clock; Marriage of Brewer & Federici, 93 Cal.App.4th 1334, holding non-disclosure of community asset is substantive set-aside ground regardless of materiality and regardless of whether the disclosing spouse would have settled differently); (c) FC 2122(a) actual fraud; (d) FC 2122(c) duress. The remedy under FC 1101(g) is 50 percent of any undisclosed community asset transferred to the wronged spouse; under FC 1101(h) the remedy is 100 percent when the breach involved fraud, oppression, or malice as defined in Civil Code section 3294 (Marriage of Rossi, 90 Cal.App.4th 34, 100 percent of $1.3 million lottery winnings to innocent spouse; Marriage of Modnick, 33 Cal.3d 897, modern set-aside doctrine; Marriage of Steiner & Hosseini on preliminary non-waivability; In re Marriage of Schultz, 105 Cal.App.4th 1144 on FC 2122 remedies). Under FC 2123 the merits of the underlying property division are not re-litigated; only the previously-undisclosed assets are reopened. ATRO baseline interaction. FL-110 imposed the four FC 2040(a)(1)-(4) Automatic Temporary Restraining Orders at petition filing; the asset list captured on FL-142 is the baseline against which any post-service transfer is measured for ATRO compliance. Omitting a community account from FL-142 is itself a fiduciary breach under FC 1100(e) and 721 and independently sanctionable under FC 2107(b)(1)-(3) (evidentiary preclusion, monetary sanctions, terminating sanctions including entry of judgment against the non-disclosing spouse with the disclosing spouse's valuations accepted).
     FL-160
    Property Declaration
    Property Declaration. Multi-purpose form with two roles tied to FL-180: (a) parties may use FL-160 in place of FL-142 as their preliminary disclosure under Family Code section 2104(a) or final disclosure under FC 2105(a) (asset-by-asset narrative rather than the FL-142 schedule grid), and (b) FL-160 is the standard property attachment to FL-180 itself when the judgment must list assigned community, separate, and quasi-community property and debts in detail. When attached to FL-180, FL-160 carries the granular asset-by-asset division (gross fair-market value, debt encumbrance, net value, assigned-to column) that does not fit on FL-180 item 4.l without an attachment, and supports the FC 2550 equal-division mandate and FC 2024(c) judgment-identification rule. The petitioner labels the attachment 'Attachment to FL-180 (Judgment), Item 4.l' so the clerk can match it during prove-up under California Rules of Court rule 5.405. The FL-160 attached to FL-180 should mirror the petitioner's most recent FL-142 disclosure unless the parties stipulated to a different division (in which case the marital settlement agreement, also attached to FL-180, reconciles FL-160 with the agreed division). Overflow beyond what FL-160 holds (typical for blended estates with multiple rental properties or business interests) rides on FL-161 (Continuation of Property Declaration). FC 2556 reserves jurisdiction over assets identified on FL-160 but with valuation deferred until later (typically a closely held business or pension share); FC 2122 + FC 1101(g)/(h) remain available for any asset omitted from FL-160 entirely. A bare FL-180 with no property attachment reads as too vague for the clerk and prove-up bounces back.
     FL-191
    Child Support Case Registry Form
    Child Support Case Registry Form. Required filing when FL-180 includes a child or spousal support order (FL-180 items 3 child support, 4 spousal or partner support, or 4.l support-related items). Family Code section 4014(a) requires each parent to file their own FL-191 separately within 10 days of any judgment, order, or modification establishing or changing the support obligation; one parent's filing does not cover the other because the State Case Registry indexes each obligor and obligee in separate records. The FL-191 captures full name, mailing address, Social Security number, driver's license, employer information, and health-insurance details so the State Case Registry plus the local Department of Child Support Services have parent-locator data to enforce wage assignments (FL-195 for child support, FL-435 for spousal) and to track address changes; FC 4014(b) imposes a continuing duty to update FL-191 within 10 days of any change in address, phone, employer, or insurance. Out-of-state obligors at the FL-180 stage still file FL-191 because UIFSA enforcement under FC 5700.101 et seq. (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act) uses the registry data to register and enforce California orders in the obligor's home state. FL-191 is confidential under FC 4014(a) and held only in the State Case Registry, NOT in the public court file with FL-180; only pages 1 and 2 of the 4-page form are filed (pages 3 and 4 are informational). Skipping FL-191 leaves the FL-180 support amount as an unenforceable paper order because DCSS has no employer to attach earnings to; the clerk may continue the judgment-entry conference rather than enter FL-180 without FL-191.
     FL-435
    Earnings Assignment Order for Spousal or Partner Support
    Earnings Assignment Order for Spousal or Partner Support. Income-withholding companion to FL-180 whenever the judgment orders spousal or partner support under Family Code section 5208 (FL-195 is the child-support analogue under FC 5230; FL-435 is for spousal / partner support only). FC 5230(a) directs the court to include an earnings assignment in every support order absent good cause; for spousal support the parties may stipulate to a stay of service under FC 5260 if direct payment will be made, but the order itself still issues. The judge signs FL-435 at or shortly after entering FL-180; the obligee then serves the signed earnings assignment directly on the obligor's employer (the payor) by first-class mail or personal delivery under FC 5230, and the employer must begin withholding from the first pay period that begins 10 days after receipt under FC 5231(a) and remit to the payee or to the State Disbursement Unit within 7 days of each withholding under FC 5235. CCPA federal caps at 15 USC 1673(b) and FC 5246 limit the assignment to 50 percent of disposable earnings when the obligor is supporting another spouse or child (55 percent if in arrears more than 12 weeks) and 60 percent otherwise (65 percent if in arrears more than 12 weeks); FC 5240 sets the multi-order priority (current child support before current spousal support before arrears) when the obligor has both FL-195 and FL-435 assignments outstanding. The obligor may file FL-450 (Request for Hearing Regarding Earnings Assignment) within 10 days of receiving notice to quash or modify under FC 5270; the obligee responds on FL-455 and the hearing is set within 20 days under FC 5273. Without an FL-435 the spousal support order in FL-180 is enforceable but the obligee has to chase voluntary payment and rely on FC 290 enforcement (writs of execution under EJ-130, contempt under FC 4012 and CCP 1209(a)(5)) when the obligor stops paying; with FL-435 on file, withholding is automatic at the payroll level, the employer is liable for the amount not withheld under FC 5241, and FC 5247 imposes penalties on an employer who refuses to honor the order. FL-435 may be entered concurrently with FL-180 or filed later if the support order is modified (a modified FL-180 triggers a new FL-435 to update the withholding amount under FC 5237). FL-435 captures the obligor's employer from FL-191 items 5 / 6; the continuing FC 4014(c) duty to update FL-191 within 10 days of any employer change keeps FL-435 directable to the current payor, and the State Case Registry (FC 17600-17630) and IV-D agency (FC 17304) cross-reference the FL-435 to enforce across employer changes.
     FL-105
    Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA)
    Declaration Under UCCJEA. Required when FL-180 includes any child custody or visitation order (typically items 4.j legal custody, 4.k physical custody, and 4.l(1) through (4) visitation schedule). Family Code section 3409 bars the court from making custody orders without an FL-105 on file from the party who first raised custody; under FC 3402(g) (the UCCJEA home-state rule) and FC 3421 (initial child custody jurisdiction analysis), the children listed on FL-105 items 1.a, 2.a, 3.a, 4.a must match the children whose custody is being adjudicated on FL-180 letter for letter, and the judge cannot sign FL-180 with custody orders unless at least one party's FL-105 (current or properly amended) is in the court file. Custody orders entered without an FL-105 declaration on file are voidable for lack of UCCJEA jurisdiction and can be collaterally attacked under FC 3422 (continuing exclusive jurisdiction analysis). The petitioner's FL-105 filed with FL-100 normally still controls at the FL-180 stage unless residence facts have changed; if children's residence has shifted in the 5-year address chain since the FL-105 was originally filed (a parent moved with the child, a child went to live with a grandparent, etc.), an updated FL-105 is filed before the FL-180 prove-up under FC 3429 (continuing duty to update jurisdictional facts) so the judgment rests on current jurisdictional facts. Out-of-state-only contact is preserved through FC 3424 emergency-jurisdiction analysis where relevant; FL-105 item 5 carries that disclosure. Stipulated FL-180 packets must include FL-105 by both parents; default FL-180 packets need only the petitioner's FL-105.
     FL-300
    Request for Order
    Request for Order. The standard pleading for any post-judgment modification of orders entered in FL-180 (legal and physical custody, visitation parenting time, child or spousal support, attorney's fees and costs, property control, restraining orders that survived the judgment). Modification standards differ by order type: (a) child support requires a material change in circumstances since the FL-180 was entered under Family Code section 3651(a), with the FC 4055 statewide guideline re-run on current FL-150 income evidence (FC 4058 gross income, FC 4059 mandatory deductions including FC 4059(d) job-related expenses, FC 4060 monthly conversion), and the FC 4057(a) rebuttable presumption that the guideline amount is correct may be rebutted only under the FC 4057(b)(1)-(5) factors; (b) spousal support requires the same material-change showing under FC 3651 (which encompasses both child and spousal support), with the court re-running the FC 4320(a)-(n) factor list (marital standard of living, marketable skills, sacrifice for education or career-building by the supporting party, contribution of supported party to supporting party's career/education, ability to pay, domestic violence history under FC 4320(i), tax consequences, balance of hardships, supported-party's ability to become self-supporting under the Gavron warning of FC 4330(b) (In re Marriage of Gavron 203 Cal.App.3d 705), criminal conviction of an abusive spouse under FC 4322 and 4325, immediate and specific tax consequences), with two specific additional triggers at FC 4326 (cohabitation of the supported party with a non-marital partner creating rebuttable presumption of decreased need under FC 4323) and FC 4322 (supported party becomes self-supporting through separate property or assets); (c) custody and visitation modifications require both a significant change in circumstances and that the modification serve the children's best interest under FC 3022, 3040, and 3087, applying the Montenegro change-of-circumstances standard (Montenegro v. Diaz 26 Cal.4th 249 (2001)); (d) move-away requests under FC 3022 trigger the LaMusga balancing test (In re Marriage of LaMusga 32 Cal.4th 1072 (2004)) with detailed best-interest analysis; (e) DV-perpetrator presumption against custody under FC 3044(a) (Christina L. v. Chauncey B. 229 Cal.App.4th 731 (2014); In re Marriage of Fajota 230 Cal.App.4th 1487 (2014)). Service of the post-judgment FL-300 must be by personal service on the responding party under Family Code section 215(a) (any order requiring personal performance after judgment must be personally served, except that the served party can elect to receive a stipulated electronic service under CCP 1010.6(c) on a post-judgment basis under CRC 5.260); FC 215(b) authorizes mail service of post-judgment papers only after the served party has been personally served with at least one document in the post-judgment phase OR is represented by counsel of record who consented to mail service under CCP 1015. CCP 414.10 sets out who may serve (any person 18 or older not a party). First-class mail under POS-030 is NOT sufficient for the moving FL-300 papers absent an FC 215(b) prior-personal-service exception; this is the most common procedural defect that gets a post-judgment FL-300 continued (the court invariably gives the moving party leave to re-serve personally under FC 215(a)). Notice rule: 16 court days before the hearing under CCP 1005(b), filed and personally served at least that far out, with the 5-day mail-extension under CCP 1013(a) inapplicable because personal service is required; for electronic service under CCP 1010.6(a)(4)(B), add 2 court days. Child custody motions also trigger the mandatory meet-and-confer / FCS mediation requirement under FC 3170(a) and California Rules of Court rule 5.210 (county Family Court Services intake before the hearing); FCS is non-confidential mediation in recommending counties (LA, Orange, San Diego) and confidential in non-recommending counties (San Francisco). Support changes are retroactive only to the date of filing under FC 3653(a) and no earlier (Greene v. Greene 56 Cal.App.4th 574 (1997)); delaying the FL-300 means lost months of arrears or accrued obligations the court cannot recoup. Identify the FL-180 order being modified by the family case number plus the date the prior order was filed; attach a conformed copy if the court file is incomplete (the court does not retrieve archived FL-180s on its own initiative). Respondents reply on FL-320 within 9 court days of the hearing under CRC 5.92(c)(2); replies to FL-320 are due 5 court days before the hearing under CRC 5.92(d). Pretrial discovery in a post-judgment FL-300 is governed by FC 3650-3692 (post-judgment modification discovery) cross to the Civil Discovery Act (CCP 2016 et seq.) including FC 2024.6 sealing of confidential financial declarations under FC 3552(a).
     FL-320
    Responsive Declaration to Request for Order
    Responsive Declaration to Request for Order. FL-320 is the respondent's reply when the other party serves a post-judgment FL-300 to modify orders entered in FL-180 (custody, visitation, child or spousal support, attorney's fees). Family Code section 215 requires personal service of the moving FL-300 papers (post-judgment service cannot be by mail); the respondent's FL-320 is then filed and served at least 9 court days before the hearing under Cal. Rules of Court rule 5.92(c). Each FL-320 item 2 through 8 mirrors the same item on the FL-300 received, so the responding party walks down the FL-300 line by line and chooses agree, disagree, or consent-with-changes for each request; have both the FL-180 judgment and the served FL-300 in front of you when filling FL-320 so the relief you counter-propose tracks the existing FL-180 judgment's exact language, item numbers, and dollar amounts. Modification standards run against the FL-180 baseline that FL-320 is defending: child and spousal support modifications require a material change in circumstances since FL-180 (FC 3651; FC 4326 for cohabitation-based spousal-support changes); custody and visitation modifications require a significant change in circumstances and a best-interest analysis under FC 3022 / 3087 (Montenegro v. Diaz (2001) 26 Cal.4th 249, 256); attorney's fees use the FC 2030 / 2032 need-and-ability framework. Support changes are retroactive only to the date the FL-300 was filed under FC 3653(a), which the FL-320 respondent cannot defeat even by disagreeing; the respondent's effective remedy is to counter-propose a lower modification amount or no change, not to slow retroactivity. The responding party using FL-320 to bring up issues NOT in the served FL-300 must file their own FL-300 instead; FL-320 is reactive, not affirmative.
     MC-025
    Attachment to Judicial Council Form
    Attachment (continuation page). FL-180 (Judgment) is the final order in a dissolution / legal separation / nullity case; every term the parties want enforceable must appear on FL-180 or its attachments because the judgment is the document the clerks, the State Disbursement Unit under FC 17400, the LCSA / county DCSS under FC 17304, the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement under 42 USC 654 (Title IV-D), any future modification motion (FL-300), any enforcement motion (FL-435 wage assignment, EJ-130 writ of execution under CCP 699.510), and any out-of-state enforcement under UIFSA (FC 5700.101-5700.905) all read. Why MC-025 is essential at FL-180. FL-180 item 4.o (Other orders, specify) provides only two short text lines on the form face; item 4.l(5) spousal support 'Other (specify)', item 4.m(3) property 'Other (specify)', and item 4.n(3) attorney-fees 'Other (specify)' each have a single inline text box that overflows the same way. Complex provisions that nearly always overflow include: (a) detailed parenting plans (holiday schedules under FC 3083 and 3086, exchange logistics, tie-breaker decision-making provisions under FC 3083 and Marriage of Brown & Yana 37 Cal.4th 947, transportation cost allocation, summer schedule, vacation rights); (b) attorney-fee findings under FC 2030 and 2032 (need-and-ability analysis supporting the fee award under Marriage of Sullivan 37 Cal.3d 762; FC 271 bad-faith sanctions analysis under Marriage of Falcone & Fyke 203 Cal.App.4th 964); (c) FC 6320-6326 restraining order recitals carried into the judgment under FC 6342 and 6345(b); (d) FC 4055 child support guideline math when the parties stipulated to deviation from guideline under FC 4065(a)(1)-(7) (the seven mandatory findings the court must make on record to support downward deviation; presumptively correct guideline cannot be lowered without on-record findings under Marriage of Hubner 94 Cal.App.4th 175); (e) Moore-Marsden / Marsden community-property-reimbursement calculations for community contribution to one spouse's separate-property real estate (Moore v. Moore 28 Cal.3d 366; Marriage of Marsden 130 Cal.App.3d 426; Marriage of Walrath 17 Cal.4th 907); (f) Epstein credits and Watts charges (Marriage of Epstein 24 Cal.3d 76 for post-separation community-debt payments by one spouse; Marriage of Watts 171 Cal.App.3d 366 for exclusive use of community asset post-separation; FC 2626); (g) Family Code 4338 spousal-support order language including termination provisions and fixed-amount versus base-plus-percentage formulations; (h) FC 3760-3773 child-support add-ons (uninsured medical, child care, travel); (i) Pension / QDRO recitals under FC 2610(a) for ERISA-qualified plans (29 USC 1056(d)(3); IRC 414(p)) and Marriage of Trackman (174 Cal.App.4th 1112); (j) FC 4337 spousal-support termination on death or remarriage with explicit language preserving or eliminating exceptions; (k) FC 2552 valuation findings (date of trial vs. date of separation; Marriage of Reuling 23 Cal.App.4th 1428). Caption and incorporation. Use MC-025 labeled with the FL-180 item number it continues (for example, 'Attachment 4.o to FL-180 (Judgment): Parenting Plan'); each MC-025 page lists the case caption (per CRC 1.110 and 2.111), case number, and the FL-180 item being continued at the top, and is incorporated by reference on the FL-180 face by checking the item box and writing 'See Attachment X to FL-180.' Without explicit incorporation by check box and reference, an MC-025 in the file is not part of the judgment and not enforceable (Marriage of Mathews 133 Cal.App.4th 624 on what counts as part of a judgment; Marriage of Sasson 75 Cal.App.5th 779). Per CRC 2.108 and 2.109 the MC-025 must be in 12-point or larger font, with 1.5 line spacing minimum, and consecutively numbered pages. Signature alignment. FL-180 attachments must be signed by the same parties whose signatures appear on FL-180 itself (joint judgment, stipulated under CCP 664.6 and FC 2338, signed by both parties under penalty of perjury under CCP 2015.5), or by the prevailing party who lodged FL-180 (default judgment under FC 2336 or contested judgment after FL-150 trial). Where the MC-025 contains stipulated terms the parties' attorneys (or both pro se parties) sign at the end of each attachment; where MC-025 is part of a default packet only the petitioner signs and the judicial officer's signature on FL-180 item 6 incorporates it. Lodging and filing. The MC-025 is filed as part of the FL-180 packet, not separately; the clerk treats the assembled packet (FL-180 + FL-141s + FL-170 stipulated judgment if applicable + MC-025 attachments + FL-105 if children + FL-150 if support + FL-191 if support) as the prove-up bundle under CRC 5.405(a) and (b). A missing or unsigned MC-025 attachment is a common cause of FL-180 packet rejection at the clerk's review window. Enforcement use. Any enforceable post-judgment proceeding (FL-300 modification, FL-435 wage assignment, EJ-130 writ of execution, contempt under CCP 1209 for non-payment of support) reads the FL-180 plus its incorporated MC-025 attachments. If a parenting plan term is on MC-025 but the FL-180 face does not reference the attachment, the term is unenforceable (Marriage of Mathews and Marriage of Sasson). Conversely, a term recited verbatim on the FL-180 face (typed into item 4.o's two-line box) is enforceable even without MC-025. The rule: keep enforceable terms either on the FL-180 face OR on an explicitly-incorporated MC-025; never relegate enforceability to a letter agreement outside the judgment.
     POS-030
    Proof of Service by First-Class Mail (Civil)
    Proof of Service by First-Class Mail. The clerk mails FL-190 (Notice of Entry of Judgment) to every party of record once FL-180 is signed and entered, and the clerk's FL-190 mailing under Code of Civil Procedure section 664.5 (Notice of Entry of Judgment by clerk) is the operative service that starts the California Rules of Court rule 8.104(a)(1)(A) appeal clock (60 days from the clerk's FL-190 mail date, or 180 days from entry of judgment, whichever is earlier), plus the California Rules of Court rule 5.380 family-law-judgment notice requirement that pairs with FL-190 for family-law cases (notice to both parties under Family Code section 2024 mandatory notice). The petitioner therefore does not normally need to serve FL-180 itself on the other party with a POS-030 because the clerk's FL-190 mailing under CCP 664.5(b) and (d) functions as service for appeal-clock purposes. The 6-month CCP 473(b) excusable-neglect set-aside clock and the FC 2120-2129 set-aside grounds (FC 2122 fraud, perjury, duress, mental incapacity, mistake, or non-disclosure) also run from FL-190 entry/mailing under FC 2125 and Trackman v. Kenney 187 Cal.App.4th 175 (2010). POS-030 is the right form for ancillary mailings around the judgment: (a) serving a conformed FL-180 on a non-party to perfect downstream legal effects, including a retirement plan administrator for a QDRO under Family Code section 2610 to effectuate a community-property division of pension benefits under ERISA 29 USC 1056(d)(3) (QDRO must comply with 29 USC 1056(d)(3)(B)-(D) anti-alienation exception) for ERISA plans or under Internal Revenue Code section 414(p) for tax-qualified retirement plans, with the QDRO itself drafted on FL-462 / FL-463 (Pension Court Order) and served on the plan administrator with a conformed FL-180; (b) serving an insurance carrier (Met Life, NY Life, etc.) for a beneficiary-designation order under FC 2024.5 (life insurance continuation order); (c) mailing a conformed copy of FL-180 to a school for name-change purposes of the children under FC 213 / Cal. Education Code section 49061(e); (d) recording with the county recorder a real-property judgment under CCP 697.310 (Abstract of Judgment for money judgment lien) for any money-component of the FL-180 family-support arrears or property-equalization payment, with the FL-180 attached to the EJ-001 Abstract of Judgment under CCP 674 and recorded for 10-year lien priority under CCP 697.310(b) and CCP 683.020; (e) re-mailing FL-180 to a party whose FL-190 was returned because the clerk had a stale address (the petitioner must update the address on file under CRC 1.11 (notice of change of address) and re-serve; the original FL-190 clerk mailing date governs the appeal clock under In re Marriage of Eben-King & King 80 Cal.App.4th 92 (2000)); (f) serving the FL-180 on a third-party levy target for wage assignment under FC 5208 (spousal-support earnings assignment) or FC 5230 (any-support earnings assignment) where the wage-assignment instrument is FL-435 (Earnings Assignment Order for Spousal/Partner Support) served separately on the employer. Family-law preferred between-parties mail-service form for post-judgment service is FL-335 (Proof of Service, Family Law) under California Rules of Court rule 5.50(a), which the petitioner uses for any post-FL-180 family-law motion service; POS-030 remains the CCP-based equivalent under CCP 1013(a) and is also accepted by clerks under CRC 1.21 (general-civil POS adequacy in family-law cases). For the FL-190 service itself, the clerk performs the mailing under CCP 664.5(b) and signs the FL-190 clerk-certificate-of-mailing block; the petitioner does not duplicate that service with POS-030. If FL-180 was entered after a default under FC 2110 / CCP 585 (true-default judgment, respondent never filed FL-120), the clerk still mails FL-190 to the respondent's address of record per CCP 664.5(d), and an FL-141 (Declaration Re Service of Disclosure) confirming preliminary FL-142 / FL-150 service is in the file (with FC 2107(c) excusing final disclosure for non-responding respondent per FC 2110). For an out-of-state respondent who never appeared and whose address became unknown, the clerk's FL-190 mailing to last-known address still triggers the CCP 664.5 service-and-appeal-clock under O'Brien v. Cseh 148 Cal.App.3d 957 (1983) (constructive notice via address-of-record mailing satisfies 664.5 even when actual receipt fails).
     FW-001
    Request to Waive Court Fees
    Request to Waive Court Fees. FL-180 itself carries no separate filing fee. FL-180 is the final judgment lodged inside the dissolution / legal separation / nullity case that FL-100 already paid the first-appearance fee on under Gov. Code section 70670 (or had waived under FW-001 with FW-003 grant). But the case it ends may carry deferred fees, post-judgment costs, and downstream filings that FW-001 either covers or does not cover. Fees FW-001 covers at and after FL-180. (1) Default-prove-up administrative review fee in some counties (handful of counties charge $20-30 for clerk review of the default packet; Gov. Code section 70626(b)). (2) Certified-copy fees for the entered judgment under Gov. Code section 70626(a), typically $25 for the first page plus $0.50 per additional page; the parties commonly need 3-5 certified copies for the bank, insurance, retirement-plan administrator (for QDRO setup under FC 2610 and 26 USC 414(p)), DMV, name-change agencies (Social Security under 42 USC 405(c) and SSA POMS GN 00203.020, passport under 22 CFR 51.27(d)), and the recorded interspousal transfer deed. (3) Post-judgment motion fees on FL-300 for support modification under Gov. Code section 70617(a)(1) ($60 per motion). (4) Earnings-assignment-order filing fee on FL-435 / FL-195 under Gov. Code section 70670 (no separate fee; bundled with FL-180 entry, but if filed later FW-001 covers any post-judgment review fee). Fee waiver bases that apply to the FL-180 prove-up posture. Gov. Code section 68632 sets three bases: (a) receipt of a means-tested benefit under 68632(a), specifically SSI, CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal under W&I 14005.7, IHSS, General Assistance / General Relief, CAPI under W&I 18937, or Tribal TANF; (b) income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines under 68632(b); or (c) inability to pay for the necessities of life under 68632(c). Cal. Rules of Court rule 3.55 enumerates the specific fees covered (rule 3.55(1)-(11) including initial filing, certified copy, fee for jury, fee for subpoenas, fee for transcripts on appeal where ordered by the court). Continuation of an earlier FW-001 grant through FL-180. If the underlying FL-100 was filed with an FW-001 grant, that waiver normally continues through FL-180 prove-up and certified copies under Gov. Code section 68632(c) (waiver remains in force for the duration of the case unless the party's financial circumstances improve materially or the court revokes); the petitioner verifies the grant is still active by reviewing the docket for any FW-008 (Order to Pay Waived Court Fees) before the prove-up. FW-008 is the court-issued order revoking a waiver based on changed circumstances; if FW-008 is on the docket the petitioner owes the deferred fees under Gov. Code section 68637 and the FL-180 prove-up clerk will require payment before processing. Marriage of Hauck (130 Cal.App.4th 934) and Crowell v. Superior Court (255 Cal.App.4th 1325) confirm fee waivers continue through the case unless explicitly revoked. Required disclosure of changed circumstances. Gov. Code section 68636 requires the waivered party to notify the court within 5 days if there is any change in financial circumstances during the case that would affect waiver eligibility. Marriage of Petropoulos (91 Cal.App.4th 161) clarifies that the duty runs from awareness of the change and that failure to disclose can support revocation and recovery of deferred fees under section 68637; a petitioner whose financial circumstances have improved should file FW-006 (Confidential Statement of Discretionary Decisions on Application for Waiver of Court Fees and Costs) or amend the original FW-001 before the FL-180 prove-up. What FW-001 does NOT cover at FL-180. (a) County recorder fees at the county recorder's office for real-property orders inside FL-180 (interspousal transfer deeds executed pursuant to the judgment, abstract of support judgment under FC 4506 / 4506.1 and CCP 697.310, lis pendens release): these flow under Gov. Code sections 27361, 27361.4, 27397.5 and are paid directly to the recorder, not the court. (b) Qualified Domestic Relations Order filing fees with the retirement plan administrator under ERISA 29 USC 1056(d)(3) and IRC 26 USC 414(p): these are charged by the plan administrator (typically $300-$1,800 for a QDRO under In re Marriage of Trackman, 174 Cal.App.4th 1112) and are outside the California court fee waiver system. (c) Notary fees on any document requiring notarization (interspousal transfer deeds under Civ Code 1189). (d) Process-server fees for post-judgment service of FL-300 modification motions (only the sheriff's free-service carve under Gov. Code 26721 applies for FL-300 in DV-related cases; otherwise the petitioner pays a process server). (e) Costs of obtaining birth certificates, marriage certificates, or other vital records needed for name change orders under FC 1809 or HSC 103425. Fee shifting at conclusion under FC 2030 / 2032. If the court awards need-based attorney's fees on FL-319 / FL-158 at FL-180 entry under FC 2030(a) and FC 2032 (factors of income disparity and ability to pay), the prevailing party can recover the waived fees from the non-waivered spouse; Marriage of Sullivan (37 Cal.3d 762) is the seminal authority. The court considers need and ability under FC 2030(a)(2) and may shift fees to the spouse with greater income at FL-180 entry.
     CIV-100
    Request for Entry of Default (Application to Enter Default)
    Request for Entry of Default. Required precursor for the default FL-180 path: when the respondent was personally served with FL-100 plus FL-110 (Summons) under Code Civ. Proc. section 415.10 (or substituted-served under CCP 415.20(b), mailed-and-acknowledged under CCP 415.30, or out-of-state-mailed under CCP 415.40) and failed to file FL-120 within the 30-day response window under FC 2020 and CCP 412.20(a)(3) (the 30-day clock runs from personal service; 40 days if served by substituted service plus 10-day delivery completion under CCP 415.20(b)), the petitioner files a Request to Enter Default before the court will sign FL-180 by default. FL-165 vs. CIV-100 in family-law cases. The proper default form in family-law dissolution, legal separation, and nullity cases is FL-165 (Request to Enter Default), NOT CIV-100 itself. FL-165 is the family-law-specific version with the FC 2104 / 2105 disclosure-status boxes that the CIV-100 general-civil form lacks. FL-165 includes affirmations that the petitioner served preliminary disclosure (item 3) and final disclosure (item 4, with FC 2107(c) waiver carve for true default), and that the respondent has not appeared or filed a responsive pleading. Many family-law clerks reject a CIV-100 filed in a dissolution case and require refile on FL-165, though a minority of counties (per local rule) accept CIV-100 with a family-law caption when no FL-165 is yet on file; this varies by county and petitioners should default to FL-165 for family-law cases. FL-180 default-path mechanics. Item 3.a on FL-180 is checked when the case proceeded by default; item 3.b is checked for default with stipulated marital settlement agreement (common when the parties reach agreement but never formally appeared); item 3.c is checked for uncontested cases where the respondent appeared but joined in stipulated terms. The full default prove-up packet typically includes: (1) FL-165 (Request to Enter Default); (2) FL-170 (Declaration for Default or Uncontested Dissolution or Legal Separation under CRC 5.405) with the petitioner's sworn averments supporting each item of the requested judgment; (3) the petitioner's final disclosure FL-141 (item 2 box for final; under FC 2107(c) the petitioner is excused from RECEIVING the respondent's final disclosure in a true-default case but must still have served the petitioner's own); (4) the petitioner's preliminary FL-141 (item 1 box); (5) FL-180 (the proposed judgment); (6) FL-190 (Notice of Entry of Judgment, prepared in advance for the clerk to mail under CCP 664.5 within 15 days of judgment entry); (7) FL-160 (Property Declaration) attachments if property division is requested; (8) FL-345 (Stipulation for Entry of Judgment) if respondent has signed any stipulation; (9) FL-342 (Child Support Information and Order Attachment) for child support; (10) FL-343 (Spousal or Partner Support Order Attachment); (11) FL-105 (UCCJEA Declaration) if minor children are involved (required under FC 3409 even in default); (12) FL-115 (Proof of Service of Summons on FL-100); (13) FL-150 (Income and Expense Declaration); (14) FL-191 (Child Support Case Registry Form) if child support; (15) FL-435 / FL-195 (wage assignment) if support enforcement is requested. Sequencing requirement. FL-165 must be entered (clerk stamps default) BEFORE FL-180 is signed by the judge. A court that signs FL-180 without a prior default entry creates an irregular judgment subject to CCP 473(d) (void-on-its-face set aside, no time limit) or CCP 473.5 (lack of actual notice set aside, within 2 years). See Marriage of Steiner & Hosseini (117 Cal.App.4th 519) on procedural defaults in family law; Marriage of Andresen (28 Cal.App.4th 873) on void family-law judgments; Marriage of Lippel (51 Cal.3d 1160) on default judgment in dissolution being bound by the relief demanded in the petition (Petrillo / Lippel limit: default judgment cannot exceed what the FL-100 petition requested). Excess-relief bar (Lippel rule). CCP 580(a) bars a default judgment in excess of the demand stated in the complaint; in family law, Marriage of Lippel (51 Cal.3d 1160) and subsequent cases (Marriage of Andresen 28 Cal.App.4th 873; Marriage of Petrillo 7 Cal.App.4th 833) hold the petitioner's FL-180 default judgment cannot grant relief (custody terms, support amounts, property division) materially different from or in excess of what FL-100 stated. A petitioner whose facts changed since FL-100 must file an amended FL-100 and re-serve (re-starting the 30-day clock and re-FL-165 default entry) before FL-180 can capture the new terms. Failure to comply with the Lippel rule is a common set-aside ground under CCP 473(d) and FC 2122. 30-day window mechanics. Personal service of FL-100 + FL-110 starts the 30-day FC 2020 / CCP 412.20(a)(3) response window. Substituted service under CCP 415.20(b) adds 10 days completion. Mail service under CCP 415.30 starts the 30-day window only after the respondent signs and returns the Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt (or 20 days after mailing if not returned, when the petitioner can switch to other service methods). Mail service to out-of-state addresses under CCP 415.40 adds 10 days. A respondent who files FL-120 even one day after the 30-day deadline has technically appeared (Goddard v. Pollock 37 Cal.App.3d 137); the petitioner should check the clerk's docket before filing FL-165 to avoid filing default on an untimely-but-filed FL-120 (which the clerk will note for the default-rejection log).
     NC-100
    Petition for Change of Name
    Petition for Change of Name (anti-recommendation). NC-100 is UNNECESSARY when the only goal is restoring a former legal name after dissolution, legal separation, or nullity. FL-180 item 4.f restores the former name as part of the judgment under Family Code section 2080 if FL-100 item 11.b (petitioner side) or FL-120 item 11.b (respondent side), each under 'Other Requests', requested it; FC 2081 makes the FL-180 order alone sufficient proof of the name change for Social Security (Form SS-5), DMV (Form DL-44), passport (Form DS-82), employer, and bank records, with NO four-week newspaper publication under CCP 1277(a), NO separate OSC hearing on NC-120, NO additional $435 filing fee under Gov Code 70611. If the FL-180 was ALREADY entered without item 4.f checked, the post-judgment route is FORM FL-395 (ex parte application for restoration of former name after entry of judgment) filed in the same dissolution case under FC 2080(b), NOT a separate NC-100; FL-395 carries no filing fee, no publication, and no hearing because the underlying dissolution already established the legal basis for the name change. NC-100 remains the CORRECT form only for: (1) a brand-new legal name unrelated to divorce (changing to a name not previously held), (2) a minor child's name change (whether or not in connection with custody; NC-100 requires both parents' consent under FC 7611 / 7613 or noticed alternative under CCP 1277.5), (3) a gender-conforming change (NC-100 item 6 with NC-300 supplement under H&S Code 103430), or (4) a name change by a person who was never married to the source-name spouse (e.g. a person who took an unmarried partner's surname socially and now wants legal restoration of their birth name; no FC 2080 / 2081 carve-out applies because there was no marriage to dissolve). Picking NC-100 when FL-180 item 4.f or FL-395 would have worked costs the petitioner the $435 fee, the four-week publication, and a separate hearing on NC-120; the wizard should detect the dissolution context and route accordingly.

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    Filer Block
    blocker

    Top-of-form attorney/party block. Pro se filers type their name and address; attorneys add bar number.

    • Filer leaves blank because they are pro se. The block is required for self-represented filers too.
    • Filer types only the name; the block requires name + address + phone for the court to reach the filer.
    Filer Phone
    blocker

    Filer phone.

    • Filer lists a phone they no longer use.
    • Filer lists a work number they cannot use privately.
    Filer Fax
    none

    Filer fax. Effectively obsolete.

    • Filer leaves blank and worries; obsolete for pro se.
    • Filer pastes phone here.
    Filer Email
    none

    Filer email. Optional but recommended.

    • Filer pastes an email rarely checked.
    • Pro se filers leave blank thinking it is required; it is not.
    Filer Atty For
    blocker

    'Attorney for' caption. Pro se filers type 'Self-Represented' or 'Petitioner in Pro Per' / 'Respondent in Pro Per'.

    • Pro se filers leave blank or write 'myself'.
    • Filers write the wrong role ('Petitioner' on a respondent's filing).
    Court County
    blocker

    Court county. Same as the FL-100.

    • Filer lists county they live in.
    • Filer adds 'County of'.
    Court Street
    warning

    Court street address.

    • Filer lists the courthouse name.
    • Filer uses an old courthouse address.
    Court Mailing
    warning

    Court mailing address.

    • Filer fills when same as street.
    • Filer pastes their own P.O. Box.
    Court City Zip
    warning

    Court city and ZIP.

    • Filer lists only the city.
    • Filer uses old courthouse ZIP.
    Court Branch
    warning

    Court branch.

    • Filer leaves blank in multi-branch counties.
    • Filer types informal name.
    Petitioner Name
    blocker

    Petitioner full name. Match the FL-100.

    • Filer shortens petitioner's name.
    • Filer uses a nickname.
    Respondent Name
    blocker

    Respondent full name.

    • Filer shortens respondent's name.
    • Filer uses a nickname.
    Case Number
    blocker

    Case number from the FL-100.

    • Filer paste the case number with extra spaces.
    • Filer types a different case number.
    Judgment Type Choice
    blocker

    Type of judgment: dissolution, legal separation, or nullity. Most pro se filers pick dissolution.

    • Selecting 'Legal separation' when the petitioner actually wants a dissolution. Status-termination is the operative effect; legal-separation judgments do not end the marriage.
    Status Only
    none

    Status-only bifurcation. Uncommon outside attorney-handled cases.

    • Filers check this thinking it speeds the divorce. Status-only bifurcation requires Family Code 2337 conditions and is rarely appropriate for pro se cases.
    • Filers confuse status-only with reserving jurisdiction. Status-only ENDS the marriage but defers everything else; reserving keeps the marriage open.
    Reserving Jurisdiction Termination
    none

    Mirror of status-only: reserves status, decides everything else.

    • Filers confuse with status-only.
    • Filers leave blank when intending to reserve.
    Judgment On Reserved
    none

    Second-judgment indicator (after a prior bifurcation). Rare.

    • Filers check on a first-judgment case.
    • Filers leave blank on the second judgment after a prior bifurcation.
    Status End Date
    warning

    Date marital or partnership status ends. Cannot be earlier than 6 months and 1 day after respondent was served (Family Code section 2339(a)).

    • Picking a date earlier than 6 months and 1 day after service. The clerk and judge will check; the judgment cannot be entered before day 184.
    Judgment Includes Restraining
    none

    Item 1 lead checkbox. Most pro se uncontested judgments leave item 1 unchecked.

    • Filers check when no restraining orders exist.
    • Filers leave blank when judgment includes new RO.
    Contains Restraining Orders
    none

    Sub-checkbox: contains new restraining orders.

    • Filers check without attaching the restraining order text.
    • Filers conflate with modifies_restraining_orders.
    Modifies Restraining Orders
    none

    Sub-checkbox: modifies existing restraining orders.

    • Filers check on first-time orders.
    • Filers conflate with contains_restraining_orders.
    Restraining Pages Count
    warning

    Page numbers of attachment containing the restraining orders.

    • Filers leave blank when restraining orders attached.
    • Filers list page count without attaching.
    Restraining Expire Date
    warning

    Expiration date of restraining orders. Cannot be permanent; comes from the order itself.

    • Filers leave blank when RO included.
    • Filers type 'permanent' (RO cannot be permanent).
    Proceeding Type Choice
    blocker

    How the case was decided. Most pro se cases use 'By declaration under FC 2336'.

    • Selecting 'Default or uncontested' alongside 'By declaration under FC 2336'. Pick exactly one.
    Hearing Date
    none

    Date of hearing. Blank if proceeding type is 'By declaration under FC 2336'.

    • Filers list the date FL-180 is being filed.
    • Filers fill on a Family Code 2336 declaration case where no hearing occurred.
    Hearing Dept
    none

    Department where the hearing was held.

    • Filers list a different dept than the minute order.
    • Filers fill on declaration cases.
    Hearing Room
    none

    Room number for the hearing.

    • Filers list a courtroom number.
    • Filers fill on declaration cases.
    Judicial Officer Name
    none

    Name of the judge or commissioner who heard the matter. Blank in declaration cases.

    • Filers list a different judge than the minute order.
    • Filers fill on declaration cases. Family Code 2336 judgments are signed by the judge or commissioner without a hearing.
    Temporary Judge
    none

    Pro tem (temporary judge) indicator. Less common.

    • Filers check when a regular judge presided.
    • Filers fail to check when a pro tem signed.
    Petitioner Present
    none

    2c petitioner presence flag.

    • Filers check on declaration cases.
    • Filers leave blank when petitioner did appear.
    Petitioner Atty Present
    none

    2c petitioner's attorney presence flag.

    • Pro se petitioner checks this.
    • Filers leave blank when attorney appeared.
    Petitioner Atty Name
    none

    2c petitioner's attorney name.

    • Pro se petitioners fill name.
    • Filers leave blank when atty appeared.
    Respondent Present
    none

    2d respondent presence flag.

    • Filers check on default cases.
    • Filers leave blank when respondent appeared.
    Respondent Atty Present
    none

    2d respondent's attorney presence flag.

    • Pro se respondent checks.
    • Filers leave blank when respondent's attorney appeared.
    Respondent Atty Name
    none

    2d respondent's attorney name.

    • Pro se respondents fill name.
    • Filers leave blank when respondent atty appeared.
    Claimant Present
    none

    2e third-party claimant presence flag. Rare in dissolution.

    • Filers check on standard cases.
    • Filers leave blank when third-party claimant appeared.
    Claimant Name
    none

    2e claimant name.

    • Filers leave blank when claimant_present.
    • Filers list claimant role instead of name.
    Claimant Atty Present
    none

    2e claimant's attorney presence flag.

    • Filers conflate with claimant_present.
    • Filers leave blank when claimant atty appeared.
    Claimant Atty Name
    none

    2e claimant's attorney name.

    • Filers leave blank when claimant_atty_present.
    • Filers list firm only.
    Other Present
    none

    2f other person present.

    • Filers check for normal cases.
    • Filers leave blank when other person appeared.
    Other Present Name
    warning

    2f other person name.

    • Filers leave blank when other_present.
    • Filers list role only.
    Jurisdiction Acquired Date
    blocker

    Item 3 jurisdiction date. Required; anchors the 6-month cooling-off period.

    • Putting the date the petition was filed instead of the date the respondent was served. The cooling-off period runs from service, not filing.
    Respondent Served
    none

    3a respondent served with process flag. Check in default cases.

    • Filers check for non-default cases (where respondent appeared).
    • Filers leave blank in default cases (where respondent failed to answer).
    Respondent Appeared
    none

    3b respondent appeared flag. Check if respondent filed FL-120 or FL-130.

    • Filers check in default cases.
    • Filers leave blank when respondent filed FL-120 or FL-130.
    Dissolution Entered
    blocker

    4a lead. Check if judgment is dissolution.

    • Filers check on legal separation or nullity.
    • Filers leave blank on dissolution.
    Dissolution Date Specified
    warning

    4a(1) lead. Specifies an exact status-termination date.

    • Filers leave blank when specifying date.
    • Filers check without filling dissolution_date.
    Dissolution Date
    blocker

    4a(1) date. Cannot be earlier than 6 months and 1 day after service.

    • Filers list a date earlier than 6 months + 1 day after respondent service. Family Code 2339(a) imposes the cooling-off period; courts will reject earlier dates.
    • Filers list the date of separation. Dissolution date is when the marriage status terminates, not when the parties separated.
    Dissolution Date To Be Determined
    none

    4a(2) defers status date to a later motion. Less common.

    • Filers check when date is known.
    • Filers leave blank when deferring.
    Legal Separation Entered
    blocker

    4b lead. Check if judgment is legal separation.

    • Filers check on dissolution cases.
    • Filers leave blank on legal separation.
    Nullity Entered
    blocker

    4c lead. Check if judgment is nullity.

    • Filers check on dissolution.
    • Filers leave blank on nullity.
    Nullity Ground
    blocker

    4c ground for nullity. Required if 4c checked.

    • Filers leave blank when nullity_entered.
    • Filers cite a ground that is not statutory under FC 2210/2200.
    Nunc Pro Tunc
    none

    4d retroactive entry indicator. Rare; requires a separate court order.

    • Filers check without a separate retroactive order.
    • Filers leave blank when retroactive order applies.
    Nunc Pro Tunc Date
    warning

    4d nunc pro tunc date.

    • Filers leave blank when nunc_pro_tunc.
    • Filers list a future date.
    Judgment On Reserved 4e
    none

    4e mirror of form-title 'Judgment on reserved issues'.

    • Filers check on first-judgment cases.
    • Filers leave blank on second-judgment.
    Former Name Party
    none

    4f which party's former name is restored. Only one party per item 4f; if both want restoration, attach a continuation page for the second.

    • Listing both petitioner and respondent on the same item 4f. Only one party per item 4f.
    Former Name Text
    blocker

    4f former name to be restored. Required if 4f is selected.

    • Filers leave blank when restoring former name.
    • Filers list a name never legally used.
    Jurisdiction Reserved Other
    info

    4g reserves jurisdiction over other issues. Most uncontested judgments check 4g.

    • Filers leave blank in uncontested judgments. Most pro se uncontested judgments check 4g to preserve jurisdiction over future issues.
    • Filers check without specifying which issues.
    Judgment Has Support Provisions
    warning

    4h flags child or family support; triggers FL-191 / FL-192 attachments.

    • Leaving 4h unchecked when the judgment includes child support via FL-342. The clerk needs 4h checked to route the judgment to the State Case Registry.
    P2 Party Name
    blocker

    Page 2 caption case name. Match page 1.

    • Filers list a different name than page 1.
    • Filers leave blank.
    P2 Case Number
    blocker

    Page 2 case number. Match page 1.

    • Filers leave blank.
    • Filers type a different case number.
    Case Has Children
    warning

    4i lead. Check if there are minor children of the marriage or partnership.

    • Filers check 'no' when minor children of the marriage exist.
    • Filers list adult children.
    Child 1 Named
    none

    4i(1) lead checkbox before the single child row.

    • Filers leave blank when child_1 is filled.
    • Filers check without filling child fields.
    Child 1 Name
    blocker

    First child's full legal name. For 2+ children, attach a continuation page.

    • Filers list nickname.
    • Filers list adult children.
    Child 1 Birthdate
    blocker

    First child's birthdate.

    • Filers list year only.
    • Filers guess.
    Parentage Established
    none

    4i(2) parentage-established flag for children born before the marriage.

    • Filers leave blank when child born before marriage.
    • Filers check when not applicable.
    Child Custody Ordered
    warning

    4j lead. Custody and visitation ordered.

    • Filers check when no custody order.
    • Filers leave blank when custody is being ordered.
    Custody Settlement
    none

    4j(1) settlement-agreement disposition.

    • Filers check when not by settlement.
    • Filers conflate with FL-341 attachment.
    Custody Fl341
    none

    4j(2) FL-341 attachment.

    • Filers check without attaching FL-341.
    • Filers leave blank when FL-341 attached.
    Custody Fl355
    none

    4j(3) FL-355 stipulated custody attachment.

    • Filers conflate with FL-341.
    • Filers check without attaching FL-355.
    Custody Previously
    none

    4j(4) previously established in another case (e.g., FL-200 paternity).

    • Filers check on first-time custody orders.
    • Filers leave blank when prior order exists.
    Custody Prior Case Number
    warning

    4j(4) prior case number.

    • Filers leave blank when custody_previously.
    • Filers list current case number.
    Custody Prior Court
    warning

    4j(4) prior court.

    • Filers leave blank when custody_previously.
    • Filers list current court.
    Child Support Ordered
    warning

    4k lead. Child support ordered.

    • Filers check when no child support order.
    • Filers leave blank when CS being ordered.
    Child Support Settlement
    none

    4k(1) settlement disposition. Requires FC 4065(a) declarations in the agreement.

    • Filers check without including FC 4065(a) declarations.
    • Filers conflate with FL-342.
    Child Support Fl342
    none

    4k(2) FL-342 attachment. Most common pro se path.

    • Filers check without attaching FL-342.
    • Filers leave blank when FL-342 attached.
    Child Support Fl350
    none

    4k(3) FL-350 stipulated child support attachment.

    • Filers conflate with FL-342.
    • Filers check without attaching FL-350.
    Child Support Previously
    none

    4k(4) previously established.

    • Filers check on first-time orders.
    • Filers leave blank when prior order exists.
    Child Support Prior Case Number
    warning

    4k(4) prior case number.

    • Filers leave blank when child_support_previously.
    • Filers list current case number.
    Child Support Prior Court
    warning

    4k(4) prior court.

    • Filers leave blank when child_support_previously.
    • Filers list current court.
    Spousal Support Ordered
    warning

    4l lead. Spousal, partner, or family support disposition.

    • Filers check when no spousal support order.
    • Filers leave blank when SS being ordered.
    Spousal Support Reserved
    none

    4l(1) reserved for future determination.

    • Filers leave blank when reserving.
    • Filers check without specifying party.
    Spousal Support Reserved Party
    warning

    4l(1) which party reserved as to.

    • Filers leave blank when reserved.
    • Filers list both when only one is reserved.
    Spousal Support Jurisdiction Terminated
    none

    4l(2) jurisdiction terminated. One-way door; cannot reopen support to that party.

    • Checking 4l(2) thinking it just means 'no support now'. 4l(2) PERMANENTLY terminates the court's power to order support to the named party. To leave the door open, use 4l(1) (reserved) instead.
    Spousal Support Jurisdiction Terminated Party
    warning

    4l(2) which party jurisdiction terminated as to.

    • Filers terminate without legal advice.
    • Filers conflate termination with reserving.
    Spousal Support Fl343
    none

    4l(3) FL-343 attachment.

    • Filers check without attaching FL-343.
    • Filers leave blank when FL-343 attached.
    Spousal Support Settlement
    none

    4l(4) settlement-agreement disposition.

    • Filers check when not by settlement.
    • Filers conflate with FL-343.
    Spousal Support Other
    none

    4l(5) other.

    • Filers check without filling other_text.
    • Filers conflate with reserved/terminated.
    Spousal Support Other Text
    warning

    4l(5) other text.

    • Filers leave blank when spousal_support_other.
    • Filers are vague.
    Property Ordered
    warning

    4m lead. Property division ordered.

    • Filers check when no property division.
    • Filers leave blank when property being divided.
    Property Settlement
    none

    4m(1) settlement-agreement disposition (MSA).

    • Filers check without attaching MSA.
    • Filers conflate with FL-345.
    Property Fl345
    none

    4m(2) FL-345 attachment.

    • Filers check without attaching FL-345.
    • Filers leave blank when FL-345 attached.
    Property Other
    none

    4m(3) other.

    • Filers check without filling other_text.
    • Filers conflate with FL-345.
    Property Other Text
    warning

    4m(3) other text.

    • Filers leave blank when property_other.
    • Filers are vague.
    Atty Fees Ordered
    none

    4n lead. Attorney fees and costs ordered.

    • Filers check when no fee order.
    • Filers leave blank when fees ordered.
    Atty Fees Settlement
    none

    4n(1) settlement-agreement disposition.

    • Filers check when not by settlement.
    • Filers conflate with FL-346.
    Atty Fees Fl346
    none

    4n(2) FL-346 attachment.

    • Filers check without attaching FL-346.
    • Filers leave blank when FL-346 attached.
    Atty Fees Other
    none

    4n(3) other.

    • Filers check without filling other_text.
    • Filers conflate with FL-346.
    Atty Fees Other Text
    warning

    4n(3) other text.

    • Filers leave blank when atty_fees_other.
    • Filers are vague.
    Other Orders Present
    none

    4o other orders.

    • Filers check without filling other_orders_text.
    • Filers leave blank when other orders exist.
    Other Orders Text 1
    warning

    4o specify line 1.

    • Filers leave blank when other_orders_present.
    • Filers cram multiple orders into one line.
    Other Orders Text 2
    none

    4o specify line 2.

    • Filers leave blank when 2+ other orders exist.
    • Filers fill without filling line 1.
    Judge Sig Date
    none

    Date for judicial officer signature. Court fills.

    • Filers typing the date here. The judge enters the date when signing.
    Attachments Count
    warning

    Item 5: total attached pages count.

    • Filers leave blank when attachments exist.
    • Filers undercount.
    Signature Follows Attachments
    none

    'SIGNATURE FOLLOWS LAST ATTACHMENT' indicator. Local-court-specific.

    • Filers check by default; only some courts require this.
    • Filers leave blank when local rule requires.

    Ezel is a self-help tool. Ezel is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. You are the filer. Review the form carefully before submitting it to the court, and consult a licensed attorney if you have questions about your case. For free legal help, contact your local legal aid office or court self-help center.

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