California Custody Forms: Every Form You Need to File

Walking into the clerk's office with the wrong form — or a half-completed one — means you walk right back out again. California's family court system runs on mandatory Judicial Council forms, each with a specific purpose, a specific filing fee, and a specific deadline. Miss one and your hearing gets pushed back months.

Here is the complete filing sequence for a contested or uncontested custody case in California, current for 2026.

The Initial Filing Packet

Every custody case starts with three core forms filed at the Superior Court clerk's office in your county:

• FL-100 (Petition) — declares your date of separation, residency history, and initial custody request. You swear under penalty of perjury that at least one spouse has lived in California for six months and in your county for three months.
• FL-110 (Summons) — serves as the legal notice to your spouse. Once served, it starts California's mandatory six-month waiting period.
• FL-105/GC-120 (UCCJEA Declaration) — establishes which state has jurisdiction over your children. Required whenever minor children are involved, even if both parents live in California.

The statewide filing fee for the petition is $435. Riverside and San Francisco counties add a local construction surcharge, bringing the total to $450. If your income qualifies, file Form FW-001 to request a fee waiver.

Requesting Temporary Custody Orders

If you need an immediate custody arrangement while the divorce is pending, you file a Request for Order:

• FL-300 (Request for Order) — the motion that asks the court to set temporary custody and visitation terms.
• FL-311 (Child Custody and Visitation Application Attachment) — attaches to FL-300 and spells out your specific custody proposal: which type of custody you want, your proposed schedule, and any safety concerns.
• FL-150 (Income and Expense Declaration) — required whenever child support is at issue. Lists your gross income, deductions, and monthly expenses.

The motion filing fee is $60. No fee applies if you are simultaneously requesting a domestic violence restraining order.

Filing FL-300 triggers mandatory mediation — the court will not hear your custody dispute until you have attended a session with Family Court Services.

The Financial Disclosure Forms

California requires both parents to exchange full financial disclosure within 60 days of filing:

• FL-140 (Declaration of Disclosure) — the cover sheet certifying you have disclosed everything.
• FL-142 (Schedule of Assets and Debts) — itemizes every asset and debt, whether community or separate property.
• FL-150 (Income and Expense Declaration) — the same form used for temporary orders, now served on the other parent.
• FL-141 (Declaration Re Service of Disclosure) — proof you actually delivered the disclosure. This one gets filed with the court.

These forms are served directly on the other parent, not filed with the clerk (except FL-141).

The Parenting Plan Attachment Forms

Once you and your co-parent reach an agreement — or the court makes a ruling — custody terms are documented on these attachment forms:

• FL-341 (Child Custody and Visitation Order Attachment) — the master custody order specifying legal and physical custody type.
• FL-341(C) (Children's Holiday Schedule Attachment) — lays out which parent has the children on each holiday, alternating by odd and even years.
• FL-341(D) (Additional Provisions — Physical Custody Attachment) — covers transportation, right of first refusal, move-away notice requirements, and communication protocols.
• FL-341(E) (Joint Legal Custody Attachment) — specifies how joint legal custody decisions are made: education, healthcare, extracurriculars, and tie-breaking procedures.

If domestic violence is a factor, Form FL-341(A) addresses supervised visitation arrangements.

The Final Judgment Packet

After the six-month waiting period expires and all issues are resolved:

• FL-180 (Judgment) — the final document that terminates the marriage and incorporates your custody orders, child support, and property division.
• FL-190 (Notice of Entry of Judgment) — notifies both parties that the judgment has been entered.
• FL-191 (Child Support Case Registry Form) — registers the child support order with the state.

A certified copy of the judgment costs $15 plus $0.50 per additional page.

Common Filing Mistakes

Three errors account for most rejected filings:

1. Missing the UCCJEA declaration — FL-105 is required in every case involving minor children. The clerk will reject your petition without it.
2. Serving disclosure on the court instead of your spouse — FL-140 and FL-142 go directly to the other party. Only FL-141 gets filed with the clerk.
3. Filing FL-300 without FL-150 — any motion requesting child support must include a current income and expense declaration.

Getting Organized Before You File

Filling out the right forms is only half the challenge. Knowing what to put in each field — your timeshare percentage, your proposed holiday rotation, your child support calculation — determines whether your filing protects your parental rights or leaves critical gaps.

The California Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide walks you through every field on every form, with worksheets for calculating timeshare percentages, structuring age-appropriate schedules, and preparing for mandatory mediation.

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