Request for Order
Fill it with Ezel. AI intake, blocker review, court-ready PDF.
File FL-300 with Ezel
Fill FL-300 with Ezel
AI-assisted intake, completeness review, and a court-ready PDF for FL-300 only. Print, sign in pen, file yourself.
What Ezel does with FL-300
Tell Ezel what's going on. The rest is automatic.
What is FL-300?
California family-law motion to ask the judge to make new orders or change existing orders in an open case. Used for child custody, visitation (parenting time), child support, spousal or partner support, property control, attorney fees, and other relief. Cal. Rules of Court rule 5.92.
What happens if you miss the deadline: If service is not completed by the deadline, the judge cannot make orders against the other party at that hearing and will continue the matter, costing weeks. If you cannot serve in time and the matter is urgent, you can ask the court to shorten time using item 8.
How to file
- Filing fee
- Filing fee for FL-300 is set by the Judicial Council uniform fee schedule. As of 2026, when the filer has already paid a first-appearance fee in the case, the typical motion fee is $60 (Gov. Code section 70617(a)(4)); in some counties no additional fee is charged when the filer is the petitioner who already paid the petition fee. Pro se filers who cannot afford the fee file FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) at the same time. Confirm the exact amount on selfhelp.courts.ca.gov or the county's local fee schedule.
- Filing method
- in-person, mail, efile (county-specific; most California family-law courts accept e-filing)
- Filing deadline
- FL-300 has no statutory deadline of its own. Service deadlines (Cal. Rule of Court 5.92, citing Code Civ. Proc. section 1005): personal service must be completed at least 16 court days before the hearing; service by mail (within California) is 16 court days plus 5 calendar days; service outside California adds more time. The Proof of Service must be filed with the clerk at least 5 court days before the hearing. The responding party's FL-320 (Responsive Declaration) must be served on the requesting party at least 9 court days before the hearing. The judge can shorten any of these timelines on a showing of good cause through item 8.
- How to serve
- Personal service (FL-330 / POS-040) is the safest method and is required when the court ordered personal service, when the request includes temporary emergency orders, or when the request is to change a judgment on issues other than custody / visitation / child support. Service by mail (FL-335 / POS-030) is allowed for routine post-summons motions if the court did not order personal service and the matter does not include emergency orders. The server must be at least 18 and not a party. Required service packet: FL-300 + any attachments + a blank FL-320 (Responsive Declaration) + a blank FL-150 (Income and Expense Declaration) when support or fees are at issue + a copy of any granted emergency orders.
- Wet signature
- Yes, sign in pen after printing.
- Notarization
- No
- Original and copies
- One original to the clerk plus 2 copies (one for the filer, one to be conformed and served on each other party). Some counties require additional copies; check local rules.
Common pitfalls
Three highest-leverage checks for the AI review on FL-300. (1) Caption and case number must match the underlying case exactly; mismatches get the request rejected at intake. (2) At least one of the form-title category checkboxes (Child Custody, Visitation, Child Support, Spousal/Partner Support, Property Control, Attorney's Fees, Other) must be checked, AND the corresponding section on pages 2-4 must be filled. A category checked with no detail is the most common rejection. (3) Item 9 (Facts to Support) must be filled. The court denies relief if the facts are missing, even if every checkbox is correct. Bonus check: when child support, spousal/partner support, or attorney's fees are requested, FL-150 (Income and Expense Declaration) must be filed and served with FL-300; FL-155 may substitute for FL-150 only when the filer meets the threshold on FL-155 page 2.
Don't memorize the rules. Ezel walks you through FL-300 field by field, flags what the AI review treats as a blocker, and renders a court-ready PDF.
Start filing →You'll likely also file
Other Ezel-supported forms that commonly file alongside FL-300. Each one has its own guided fill, AI review, and PDF render.
Field-by-field guidance
We've mapped every field on FL-300: what it asks, what counts as a blocker, what trips most filers up. Ezel applies all of it as you fill. Plain-English questions in, court-ready PDF out.
128 fields handled for you. You don't have to read them all.
Start for $49 →Or read all 128 fields yourself
Caption must identify the filer.
Attorneys only.
Attorneys only.
Caption street. DV note: filers leaving abuse should consider Safe at Home or a friend's address rather than the address shared with the abuser.
Caption city.
Caption state.
Caption ZIP.
Caption phone.
Optional in practice for self-represented filers.
Optional in practice for self-represented filers.
Identifies who the filer represents. Pro se filers write 'Self-represented' or 'In Pro Per'.
Same county as the underlying case.
Court street address.
Optional; only when different from street.
Court city and ZIP.
Branch name; required for routing in counties with multiple courthouses.
Petitioner from the underlying case caption. Match the petition spelling exactly.
Respondent from the underlying case caption.
Used in parentage cases or when a third party (grandparent, local child support agency) has been joined. Most dissolutions leave this blank.
FL-300 is filed inside an existing case, so the case number is always assigned.
Either 'REQUEST FOR ORDER' (new) or 'CHANGE' to existing order. The form's title bar shows whichever is checked.
Boolean. Triggers emergency (ex parte) review with FL-303 + FL-305 attachments. Must be true emergency under FL-300-INFO ('immediate danger or irreparable harm').
Page 1 category checkbox. At least one of the seven category boxes (or 'Other') must be checked. Drives the conditional section on page 2.
Page 1 category checkbox. Drives the conditional section on page 2.
Page 1 category checkbox. Drives the conditional section on page 3 (item 3) and requires FL-150 / FL-155.
Page 1 category checkbox. Drives item 4 and requires FL-150.
Page 1 category checkbox. Drives item 5.
Page 1 category checkbox. Drives item 6 and requires FL-150 + FL-319 + FL-158 (or equivalent declaration).
Page 1 category checkbox. Drives item 7.
Short label only; required when category_other is checked.
Name of party who will receive this request. Required ('List the name(s) of the other person(s) in your case who will receive your request').
Role of the served party. One of Petitioner / Respondent / Other Parent or Party / Other.
Required when served_party_role == other_role.
Item 1 on page 2 is a notice to the judge about any active criminal, family, juvenile, or other-court protective order between the parties. Required so the requested orders do not conflict with existing protections.
Sub-checkbox; used when restraining_orders_exist == true.
Sub-checkbox; used when restraining_orders_exist == true.
Sub-checkbox; used when restraining_orders_exist == true.
County/state for any criminal protective order. Optional if not applicable.
Criminal case number. Optional ('if known').
County/state for family-court protective order. Optional if not applicable.
Family case number. Optional.
Juvenile court county/state. Optional.
Juvenile case number. Optional.
Other court county/state. Optional.
Other case number. Optional.
Boolean. Required only when emergency custody orders are sought.
Item 2 sub-checkbox. Should match category_child_custody on page 1.
Item 2 sub-checkbox. Should match category_visitation on page 1.
Item 2a row 1: child name. Required when custody/visitation orders are requested.
Item 2a row 1: date of birth. Required if child1_name is filled.
Item 2a row 1: legal custody to. Required if child1_name is filled.
Item 2a row 1: physical custody to. Required if child1_name is filled.
Item 2a row 2. Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Item 2a row 3. Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Mark Attachment 2a if more than 3 children. Continue on FL-311 or plain paper labeled 'Attachment 2a'.
How the custody/visitation orders are specified: attached forms (FL-311 etc.) or narrative. Required when item 2 is engaged.
FL-305 (Temporary Emergency Orders proposed). Required if custody_emergency == true.
FL-311 attachment with detailed schedule. Common when category_visitation is true.
FL-312 (Child Abduction Prevention Orders). Use only if abduction risk.
FL-341(C) holiday schedule. Optional.
FL-341(D) physical custody provisions. Optional.
FL-341(E) joint legal custody. Optional.
Narrative custody/visitation orders requested. Required when custody_orders_basis == narrative.
Why the requested orders are in the best interest of the children. Required when custody/visitation orders are requested.
Boolean for item 2d (change from current order).
Sub-checkbox; required when custody_change_from_existing == true and the change is to custody.
Sub-checkbox; required when custody_change_from_existing == true and the change is to visitation.
Date of the existing custody order. Required when custody_change_from_existing == true.
Text of the existing custody order. Required when custody_change_from_existing == true.
Date of existing visitation order. Optional.
Text of existing visitation order. Optional.
Boolean: request guideline child support. Standard pro se ask.
Item 3a row 1. Required if requesting child support.
Optional non-guideline amount.
Optional second child.
Optional.
Optional third child.
Optional.
Mark Attachment 3a for more than 3 children.
Item 3b. Boolean: changing an existing child support order.
Date of existing order. Required when cs_change_existing == true.
Existing order text. Required when cs_change_existing == true.
Item 3d. Reason for the support orders. Required when child support is requested. Modification requires a 'change in circumstances' since the prior order.
Monthly amount of spousal/partner support requested. Required when category_spousal_support == true.
Item 4b. Choice: change, end, or none.
Required when ss_change_or_end is change or end.
Existing support amount. Required when ss_change_or_end is change or end.
Item 4c. Triggers FL-157 attachment requirement.
Item 4e. Reason for support orders. Required when category_spousal_support == true.
Boolean for emergency property control. Optional.
Choice: petitioner / respondent / other parent / none. Required when property control is requested.
Property description. Required when pc_exclusive_use_to is set.
Owned or rented. Required when pc_exclusive_use_to is set.
Item 5b. Choice: which party should pay debts. Optional unless requesting debt payment orders.
Debt 1 creditor. Required if pc_debt_payer is set.
Debt 1 type. Required if pc_debt_payer is set.
Debt 1 amount.
Debt 1 due date.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Optional.
Item 5c. Optional.
Required when pc_change_existing == true.
Item 6. Total attorney's fees and costs requested. Triggers FL-150 + FL-319 + FL-158 attachment requirement.
Item 7. Required when category_other == true.
Item 8. Boolean: ask the court to shorten time for service. Optional.
Item 8a. Number of court days requested. Required if tfs_request_shortened == true.
Item 8b. Optional.
Item 8 reason. Required when shortening is requested.
Item 9. Facts in date order. The form's own text caps the facts (form + attachment) at 10 pages unless the court grants permission for more. Without facts, the judge cannot grant relief.
Mark Attachment 9 if facts continue on a separate page (or MC-031). Optional.
Date the filer signs. Form is signed under penalty of perjury under California law.
Type or print full legal name. Sign with a pen on the line below after printing.
Sources
Ready to file FL-300?
You've seen what's involved. Fill FL-300 with Ezel in minutes, not hours.