Use “Facts to Support” on Form FL-300 to state the specific facts that explain why the court should make each order you requested. Identify what happened, when it happened, who was involved, and how the fact relates to the requested order. Write from personal knowledge, separate facts from conclusions, and point to any properly attached supporting document.
The space is not for repeating only what you want. “I request child support” states a result; it does not supply the facts supporting it. The requested-order section and the supporting declaration should work together. Use the complete FormExplainer FL-300 Guide to check every section of the form, and see what happens at a California Request for Order hearing to understand how the filed papers are used.
Quick answer: For each request, write a short factual sequence: the current situation or order, the relevant dated events, what changed or created the problem, and the connection between those facts and the exact order requested. If you need more room, use a declaration attachment that clearly identifies the FL-300 item it supports.
Jump to: Purpose · A useful structure · Personal knowledge · Documents · Page limits · Review checklist
What is “Facts to Support” for?
FL-300 tells the court what orders a party is requesting. The supporting facts tell the court why those orders are being requested. The facts should give fair notice of the basis for the request and enough concrete information for the judge and the other party to understand the issue.
California Rule of Court 5.111 requires a supporting declaration to be based on personal knowledge, explain how the declarant knows the stated facts, and contain statements that would be admissible in evidence. Rule 5.92 likewise requires facts sufficient to notify the other party of the contentions made and to support the requested relief.
This means the section should not be a general history of the relationship or every disagreement in the case. Include facts connected to an order actually requested on FL-300. If several orders are requested, organize the declaration so the reader can tell which facts support each one.
A practical structure for supporting facts
- Name the request. Start with the FL-300 item or subject, such as a parenting-time schedule, child support, spousal support, property control, or attorney fees.
- Identify the current situation. State the existing order or arrangement, if any, and its date. Distinguish an order from an informal practice.
- Give the relevant events in date order. Use dates, approximate dates when necessary, amounts, communications, or actions that you personally observed.
- Explain what changed. If you are asking to modify an order, describe the factual change instead of writing only that the old order is unfair or no longer works.
- Connect the facts to the requested terms. Explain why the particular schedule, amount, deadline, or other term requested addresses the situation described.
For example, “The schedule is not working” is a conclusion. A more factual description would identify the current exchange time, the dated missed or late exchanges personally observed, any relevant school or work schedule, and the precise replacement schedule requested. The court decides what legal effect those facts have.
Keep requests and evidence aligned
Check the boxes and requested terms on pages 1–4 against the declaration. If the form requests three different orders but the declaration explains only one, the record may not show the basis for the others. Conversely, a long declaration about an issue not placed before the court does not automatically add that issue to the request.
What does “personal knowledge” mean?
Personal knowledge means facts you learned through your own senses or participation. State what you saw, heard, did, received, paid, or recorded, and explain the source when it is not obvious. “On May 6, I received the attached email” identifies how you know about the communication. “Everyone knows the other parent is unreliable” does not identify a source or a specific event.
Be careful with statements about another person’s motives, diagnoses, finances, or private conversations. If you did not personally observe the underlying fact, do not present an assumption as certain. Identify the document, statement, or event you actually know and let the court decide the inference.
How should documents be used?
A document can support a factual statement, but attaching a stack of records without explaining them may leave the connection unclear. In the declaration, identify the document, its date, what factual point it supports, and the attachment or exhibit label. Make sure every page is readable and that private information is redacted as required.
Documents and witness statements generally must be filed and served using the applicable procedure and deadline. Bringing new material to the hearing does not guarantee the judge can consider it. California Courts’ evidence-submission guide explains common document, declaration, privacy, filing, and service steps.
- Use only material relevant to an issue the judge is being asked to decide.
- Label attachments consistently and refer to the same label in the declaration.
- Do not alter messages or remove context in a way that makes the exhibit misleading.
- Follow court rules for confidential information, account numbers, children’s information, and other protected records.
How long can the declaration be?
Under California Rule of Court 5.111, a supporting or responding declaration generally may not exceed 10 pages, and a reply declaration generally may not exceed 5 pages, unless the rule or court permits otherwise. The limit applies to declarations and does not simply disappear because several issues are combined.
Use the printed space if the facts fit. If they do not, attach a declaration on 8½-by-11-inch paper, identify the FL-300 item, and keep the presentation organized. Page limits, formatting, filing deadlines, and local requirements all matter; check the current rules and any orders in the case.
What should I avoid?
- Labels such as “bad parent,” “narcissist,” or “dishonest” without the concrete events relied on.
- Legal conclusions without supporting facts, such as “this violates my rights.”
- Unrelated relationship history that does not support a requested order.
- Arguments based on facts you do not know personally without identifying the source.
- Vague dates, unexplained totals, or a document dump with no connection to the request.
- New requests buried only in an attachment instead of stated in the requested-order portions of FL-300.
Review checklist before filing
- List each exact order requested and locate the paragraph that supports it.
- Check names, dates, amounts, schedules, and the language of any current order.
- Confirm that each factual statement says how you know it.
- Match every attachment label to a reference in the declaration.
- Remove repetition and unrelated accusations while preserving necessary context.
- Check the declaration page count, signature, filing deadline, service deadline, and local rules.
- Keep a complete copy of the filed and served packet.
The FormExplainer FL-300 Guide explains the entire Request for Order, including the requested-order sections, Facts to Support, attachments, financial forms, service, response, and the hearing process. Use it with the current official FL-300.
FormExplainer provides general informational guidance, not legal advice. A matter involving emergency orders, abuse, child safety, relocation, disputed evidence, or major financial consequences may require individualized help from a lawyer or the court’s self-help center.
Sources checked October 7, 2026: current Judicial Council Form FL-300; California Rules of Court, rules 5.92 and 5.111; and California Courts’ Request for Order and evidence-submission guidance.