Other Topics: Step 1: Start Your Case for People Who Are Married Step 1: Start Your Case for People Who Are Domestic Partners Step 2: Serve Your First Set of Court Forms Step 3: Serve Your Disclosure Forms Step 4: Finish Your Family Law Case Step 5: File the Judgment Forms
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Step 4: Finish Your Family Law Case

The last step of your family law case is to fill out and file the last set of forms before the Judgment form. The forms you fill out vary, depending on your individual situation.

The forms you use to finish your case depend on:

• Whether your spouse or domestic partner filed a Response to your Petition, AND
• Whether you and your spouse or domestic partner have a settlement agreement (opens in new window) or a stipulated judgment (opens in new window).

Click on a topic for your situation:

My Spouse or Domestic Partner DID NOT File a Response, and We Do NOT Have a Settlement Agreement or a Stipulated Judgment

My Spouse or Domestic Partner DID NOT File a Response, and We Have a Settlement Agreement or a Stipulated Judgment

My Spouse or Domestic Partner Filed a Response, and We Have a Settlement Agreement or a Stipulated Judgment

My Spouse or Domestic Partner DID NOT File a Response, and We Do NOT Have a Settlement Agreement or a Stipulated Judgment
If you and your spouse or domestic partner do NOT have a written agreement, only the preliminary Declaration of Disclosure must be completed and served. Then, you must complete and file a Declaration Regarding Service of Preliminary Declaration of Disclosure (form FL-141) with the court clerk. Your spouse or domestic partner will not file or sign any of these forms.

To download a form (in PDF format), click on the form number in the table below:

If you want to ask the court for spousal, partner or child support, or if you have been married at least 10 years, fill out the following forms too. To download a form (in PDF format), click on the form number in the table below:

Alert! Some courts say you must get a computer printout showing what child, spousal or partner support should be. You can get this from a lawyer, the local child support agency, the family law facilitator, some law libraries , or on the Internet. You will need your completed Income and Expense Declaration (form FL-150) and all attachments to get the computer printout.

If there is separate property or debt, or community property or debt to divide in the judgment, complete the following form. To download a form (in PDF format), click on the form number in the table below:

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Instructions for Filing Your Request to Enter Default
Mail or deliver to the court clerk the original and 2 copies of all the forms you've prepared.

Be sure to give the court clerk two envelopes; 1 addressed to you, and 1 addressed to your spouse or domestic partner. Each envelope must have enough first-class postage so that the court clerk can mail a filed copy of the Request to Enter Default and all attachments in each envelope. It may take several weeks before you receive copies of the filed forms from the court clerk.

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Go to Step 5

My Spouse or Domestic Partner DID NOT File a Response, and We Have a Settlement Agreement or a Stipulated Judgment
In this situation, both of you have signed and notarized a settlement agreement or stipulated judgment about all your money and parenting issues. In some counties, your spouse or domestic partner won't have to pay a filing fee for this step. You can fill out and file a Request to Enter Default (form FL-165). This form tells your spouse or domestic partner that you plan to get a default judgment. Click here for instructions for form FL-165.

Or you can file an Appearance, Stipulations, and Waivers form (form FL-130). Review and check the appropriate boxes. Both you and your spouse or domestic partner must date and sign this form. After your spouse or domestic partner returns this form to you, file it with the court. Your spouse or domestic partner will also have to pay a filing fee to the court or ask for a fee waiver if you file this form. If your spouse or domestic partner can't afford the filing fee, he or she can request a waiver of the fee by filing an Application for Waiver of Court Fees and Costs. Click here for more information about court fees and fee waivers.

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Go to Step 5

My Spouse or Domestic Partner Filed a Response, and We Have a Settlement Agreement or a Stipulated Judgment
In this situation, both of you have signed and notarized a settlement agreement or stipulated judgment about all your money and parenting issues.

You must fill out and sign an Appearance, Stipulations, and Waivers form (form FL-130). Review and check the appropriate boxes. Both you and your spouse or domestic partner must date and sign this form. After your spouse or domestic partner returns this form to you, file it with the court.

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Go to Step 5

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Last modified: 03/17/2008

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