Form FL-300 Guide: Request for Order

Divorce & Family Law Guides → Form FL-300

What is Form FL-300?

Form FL-300 is a Request for Order. It is how you ask the court to make particular orders in a California family-law case. You might be asking for a parenting schedule, child support, temporary use of a car, or a change to an order the court has already made.

The important distinction is that asking for an order is different from having an order. Checking a box or writing what you want on FL-300 does not make that result a court order. The court has to decide the request. Filing a request to change an existing order does not, by itself, change the order already in place.

The usual path is: complete the request → file it → have the papers properly served → allow the other person to respond → attend the hearing or follow the court’s other procedure → receive the court’s decision and order. This guide explains both the questions on the form and where those steps fit.

This guide follows the four-page Request for Order (FL-300), revised July 1, 2025, and the FL-300-INFO information sheet revised January 1, 2026. Official sources checked October 3, 2026. Download the current official FL-300 form and keep it beside you as you work.

FormExplainer provides general informational guidance about legal and government forms. It does not provide legal advice, assess individual circumstances, or create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your situation, consult a qualified professional.

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Before You Start

When do I use FL-300?

You generally use it to ask for a new order or a change to an existing order in a family-law case. Either the petitioner or the respondent may make a request; being the person who started the case is not a requirement. Other parties may also use it when the applicable procedure permits.

You need a case for the request to belong to. FL-300 does not start a divorce by itself, although you can file it along with the petition that starts the case. If you are still at that stage, the Form FL-100 Guide explains the divorce petition. Keep the same petitioner and respondent labels throughout the case, even when the respondent is the person asking for an order.

FL-300 is not the right form for every family-court task. A request for a new domestic violence restraining order, a contempt proceeding, or certain requests to set aside an order has a different procedure. Changing or ending an active domestic violence restraining order—including orders contained in it—generally uses DV-300. Read the “Do not use” section of FL-300-INFO before proceeding if your situation falls into one of these categories.

A special point for a case started by joint petition: under the current rule, before judgment you must file the required pleading revoking the joint petition and form FL-720 before or at the same time as FL-300. The ordinary petitioner/respondent instructions do not replace that extra step. See rule 5.92 if your case began that way.

What should I gather before filling out FL-300?

Start with the records that let you describe your request accurately. What you need depends on the orders you are asking for.

Your case number, court information, and the names and roles used on earlier papers.
Copies of existing orders, including their filing dates and the language you want changed.
For custody or parenting time: the children’s names and birth dates, the existing schedule, and the details needed to describe the requested schedule.
For support, fees, or other financial orders: the records needed for a current financial declaration, such as income records and information about expenses, assets, and debts.
Dates and records you need to check the accuracy of your supporting facts.
Any current restraining orders and local court instructions relevant to your request.

Gathering a record does not mean you must attach it. Some records help you fill out the form. Some documents are required attachments or financial papers. Others may need to be served, filed separately, or brought to the hearing. Keep those groups separate rather than attaching your entire personal or financial file.

What orders can I ask for on FL-300?

The form has sections for custody and parenting time, child support, spousal or domestic partner support, property control, attorney’s fees and costs, and other orders. You can identify more than one request when the procedure allows them to be made together. A checkbox identifies the subject; the numbered sections explain the actual order you want.

The form’s broad menu does not mean every order is available in every type of case. If the request involves another state, a court’s authority over a child, or an existing protective order, resolve that procedural question before treating FL-300 as a routine filing. Your court’s self-help center can help identify the applicable process.

Page 1: Case Information and Hearing Notice

What goes in the top of the form?

Use the contact information, court, case number, and party names that belong to this case. If you do not have a lawyer, complete the party-without-attorney information. Leave attorney-only fields, such as the State Bar number, blank if they do not apply.

Under “Request for Order,” mark the subjects you are requesting. Mark “Change” when you are asking to change an existing order. The “Temporary Emergency Orders” box refers to a separate emergency procedure; it is not a shortcut for an ordinary request.

Do I fill in the hearing date and court-order boxes?

The clerk provides the hearing information. You do not choose a hearing date by writing one on the form. In notice item 1, identify the people who must receive notice. This can include parties beyond the two parents or spouses, such as a joined party or the local child support agency when it is involved.

Leave the hearing details in notice item 2 for the clerk. Item 3 tells the person receiving the papers about the response deadline and hearing. The “Court Order” area in items 4–8 is separate from the orders you are asking for on the following pages.

Leave the court’s service, response, emergency-order, and other-order directions for the court. For item 6, local practice varies: the clerk may enter the custody mediation or recommending-counseling appointment, or you may need to arrange it and enter the details before filing. Check your court’s instructions for that box.

Read page 1 again when you receive the filed papers. The court may set a particular service or response deadline, require personal service, or direct attendance at a custody appointment. Those instructions matter even if they differ from the usual timetable.

The numbering starts over on page 2. The request items 1–9 on pages 2–4 are not the same as the notice and court-order items on page 1.

Item 1: Restraining Order Information

This asks whether protective or restraining orders are currently in effect between the parties. Identify the court, county and state, and case number if you know it. The form includes criminal, family, juvenile, and other court orders. Attach a copy if you have one.

This is information about orders that already exist. It is not a request for a new restraining order. If you are trying to change an active domestic violence restraining order, check the separate DV-300 procedure described in FL-300-INFO rather than assuming this checkbox handles it.

Item 2: Child Custody and Parenting Time

How do I ask for child custody or parenting-time orders?

Identify the children, say what custody or parenting-time orders you are requesting, and explain why you believe those orders are in their best interests. If you want to change an existing order, also identify that order and what it currently says.

Item 2a asks for each child’s name and birth date, then separates legal custody from physical custody. Legal custody concerns decisions about matters such as health and education. Physical custody concerns where the child lives. Parenting time describes the time or schedule with each parent. These are related, but they are not interchangeable.

For example, a statement about who makes educational decisions answers a different question from a schedule describing where a child spends school nights. Simply checking “custody” does not give the court the details of a parenting schedule.

Use item 2b to describe the requested orders or identify the appropriate attachments. Item 2c asks why you believe the requested orders serve the children’s best interests. This is where the form moves from the arrangement you want to the facts supporting it. Item 2d, on page 3, identifies the filing dates and terms of existing custody or visitation orders you want changed.

Do I need a custody attachment?

An attachment can give you room to describe a schedule and its details. FL-311, Child Custody and Visitation (Parenting Time) Application Attachment, is designed for that purpose. It is an attachment to a request, not an order simply because you completed it. Our Form FL-311 Guide walks through the custody choices, schedule, exchanges, supervision, and related attachments.

The current information sheet also lists FL-105 for child-custody jurisdiction information and more specific attachments for abduction-prevention requests, holiday schedules, physical-custody provisions, and joint legal-custody provisions. Use the forms that fit the request and the court’s requirements; you do not need every custody form merely because it appears on the checklist. FL-300-INFO identifies these related forms.

If custody or parenting time is disputed, the court’s process generally includes mediation or child custody recommending counseling before the judge decides it. Check the appointment information and local procedure. If a protective order or safety concern affects participation, tell the court’s appropriate staff so the safety procedures can be addressed.

Item 3: Child Support

How do I ask for child support?

List the children covered by the request and identify whether you are asking for guideline support or a different amount. This section uses each child’s age, while the custody section uses birth dates.

Guideline support means support calculated under California’s statutory formula. It is not a number created by checking the box. Financial information and other inputs are needed before the court determines the amount. If you request an amount outside the guideline, the current rule requires a declaration identifying the requested amount and the factual and legal basis for departing from the guideline.

For a change to an existing order, item 3b asks when the order was filed and what the court ordered. Item 3c confirms the required financial declaration. Item 3d asks why you want the court to make or change the order.

Keep the existing amount and the requested amount distinct. For example, describing an order requiring $600 a month identifies what is already in place; writing a different requested amount does not replace that order. The court must decide whether to change it. The rules generally require specific facts about changed circumstances for a support modification, with exceptions such as a prior agreed below-guideline child-support order.

The form also warns that an earnings-withholding order may issue. That is a separate mechanism for collecting support from earnings; it is not the same document as your request. If the local child support agency is providing enforcement services or has intervened, it must receive the required notice of a request affecting support.

Do I Need FL-150 With FL-300?

You need a current Income and Expense Declaration for requests involving spousal or domestic partner support, attorney’s fees, or other property or financial matters under the applicable rules. Child-support requests also require financial information, but some people may use the shorter FL-155 instead.

FL-300 says what you want the court to order. FL-150 gives the financial information used to consider that request. One does not replace the other. The Form FL-150 Guide explains the income, expense, asset, debt, and supporting-document questions in order.

For support and the need-based fee procedure discussed here, a financial declaration is “current” if completed within the past three months and none of the facts have changed. A declaration from last month is not current if its information is no longer accurate.

Can I use the shorter FL-155?

Possibly, for child support. Read the eligibility questions on page 2 of FL-155, Financial Statement (Simplified). You cannot use it if either side is asking for spousal support or attorney’s fees, if you are self-employed, or if your income comes from a source outside the list the form allows. Being eligible does not prevent you from using FL-150 instead.

Follow the financial form’s own document instructions. Pay records, tax returns, and other financial records do not all have the same filing or service treatment. For example, FL-155 tells you to serve the latest federal tax return and check with your local court about submitting it. Do not assume every financial record belongs in the publicly filed FL-300 attachment packet.

Item 4: Spousal or Domestic Partner Support

How do I ask for spousal or domestic partner support?

Item 4 asks for the monthly amount you are requesting. If you want to change or end an existing order, identify its filing date and the amount currently ordered. Complete and file a current FL-150, then explain the reasons for the requested order in item 4e or its attachment.

A request for support during an ongoing case is different from a request to change support after judgment. For a postjudgment change, item 4c requires FL-157, Spousal or Domestic Partner Support Declaration Attachment, or a declaration addressing the same factors. Those factors give the court information beyond a single monthly income figure.

FL-157 does not replace FL-150. One addresses the support factors; the other supplies the financial picture. The form also notes that an earnings-assignment order may issue to collect support. None of these supporting documents, by themselves, changes an existing support obligation.

Item 5: Property Control

What does “property control” mean?

This is about temporary use or control of property and responsibility for certain payments. It is not the final division of ownership. During a divorce, for example, the court may be asked to decide who uses a car or who makes a particular payment while the case is pending.

Item 5a identifies who would have exclusive temporary use, possession, and control of the property. Specify the property and whether it is owned or being purchased, or leased or rented. Item 5b identifies who would pay particular debts or liens, including the payee, what the payment is for, the amount, and the due date.

If you want to change an existing property-control order, identify its date in item 5c. Item 5d calls for an attachment explaining the reasons for the request. Financial or property requests also call for current financial information under rule 5.92; do not overlook FL-150 because this section is labeled “property” rather than “support.”

For example, an order allowing one spouse to use a vehicle for now does not necessarily decide who will own the vehicle at the end of the case. The California Courts property-control explanation describes that distinction.

Item 6: Attorney’s Fees and Costs

What goes with an attorney-fee request?

Enter the total amount requested in item 6. For the ordinary need-based fee request covered by the family-law rules, the court also needs a current FL-150 and information explaining the request and its basis.

FL-319, Request for Attorney’s Fees and Costs Attachment, provides details about the fee order requested. A declaration addressing the same factors may be used instead.
FL-158, Supporting Declaration for Attorney’s Fees and Costs Attachment, provides the supporting information. A comparable declaration may be used instead.
A current FL-150 supplies financial information, including the relevant asset and attorney-fee information.

This is more than naming a dollar amount. The supporting materials address why the requested fees are needed and reasonable under the applicable standard. The need-based fee rule explains the required information. Domestic Violence Prevention Act fee requests have different provisions; do not assume this ordinary packet applies to every type of fee request.

Item 7: Other Orders

Use this space, or Attachment 7, to identify an order that does not fit the listed categories. Say what you want the court to order, then provide the supporting facts in the appropriate declaration or facts section.

“Other” is not permission to bypass a required procedure. If a different Judicial Council form is required for the particular request, use that procedure. Nor does this box turn a family-law case into a way to obtain any kind of relief against anyone.

Item 8: Time for Service or Hearing

This section asks the court to shorten the usual time for service or set an earlier hearing. You identify the shorter time requested and explain why in item 8c or its attachment.

Writing a shorter deadline here does not authorize it. Under rule 5.92, a request to shorten time must be submitted through the emergency-order procedure with a declaration showing good cause. The court’s decision appears in the court-order portion of page 1. Follow the deadline the court actually orders.

Item 9: Facts to Support

What does “Facts to Support” mean?

This is where you explain the facts you believe support the orders you requested. The earlier sections tell the court what you want. This section supplies the factual information behind those requests.

Those are two different jobs. “I request a different exchange time” identifies a requested order. A statement identifying the existing exchange time and accurately describing a relevant dated event supplies factual information. The example shows the difference in structure; it does not tell you what change to request or what facts apply to your case.

The court rules require declarations to be based on personal knowledge and to explain how you know the facts stated. In everyday terms, distinguish what you personally saw, did, received, or otherwise know from an assumption about someone else’s motives. The rules of evidence still apply; putting a statement in an attachment does not automatically make it admissible.

Facts can include dates, events, amounts, or the terms of an existing order when those details bear on the request. A conclusion such as “this is unfair” does not explain the event or circumstances behind it. You do not need to turn this section into a history of the entire relationship.

For a focused explanation with a practical structure, examples of useful specificity, document guidance, and a review checklist, see what to write in “Facts to Support” on FL-300.

How do the earlier explanations and item 9 fit together?

Some earlier items already ask for reasons—for example, the child’s best interests in item 2c, support reasons in items 3d and 4e, and property-control reasons in Attachment 5d. Label each answer so the reader can tell which request it supports. Item 9 and its attachments should work with those answers, not leave the court guessing which facts belong to which request.

If you refer to an attached document, identify it clearly and explain its connection to the statement. An unexplained stack of messages or bills is not a substitute for answering the form. Keep documents relevant to the request and follow the court’s filing, service, privacy, and evidence requirements.

Can I attach a declaration or continuation page?

Yes. Check “Attachment 9” when you continue that answer on another page. MC-031, Attached Declaration, is one available form. Identify the attachment number and put your name, case number, and “FL-300” at the top as the form directs. Sign a separate declaration where it requires a signature.

More space is not unlimited space. FL-300 says the facts you write and attach in support must not be longer than 10 pages unless the court gives permission. Rule 5.111 generally limits supporting and responding declarations to 10 pages and reply declarations to 5, with exceptions for expert-witness declarations or court permission. Do not treat a continuation attachment as a fresh 10-page allowance. See rule 5.111 for the requirements.

Attachments and Signature

What documents do I attach to FL-300?

Build the packet around the boxes you actually marked. A useful final check is:

Numbered continuation pages and supporting declarations for the answers that need them.
A copy of a current restraining order, if you have one, as requested in item 1.
Custody or parenting-time attachments and jurisdiction information when applicable.
The current financial declaration and supporting financial documents required for your request.
FL-157 or a comparable declaration when requesting a postjudgment spousal-support change.
The fee-request and supporting declarations required for an attorney-fee request.
Any local forms or emergency-request papers required for the procedure you are using.

A document can be part of the filing packet without being a numbered FL-300 continuation page. Keep each form identifiable. Match attachment numbers to the relevant item, check every reference, and keep a complete copy. Follow the financial form’s instructions about records that are served or brought to court rather than routinely filed.

How do I sign FL-300?

Sign and date the applicant’s declaration at the end of page 4, and print or type your name. You are declaring under penalty of perjury under California law that the information in the form and its attachments is true and correct.

Read the finished packet before signing. Check names, dates, amounts, attachment references, and any statement describing an existing order. The judicial officer’s signature line on page 1 is not your signature line. Sign any separate financial form or declaration where that form requires it.

Temporary and Emergency Orders

Does filing FL-300 give me an immediate order?

No. An ordinary request does not produce immediate relief simply because it has been filed. A temporary order can govern an issue while the case is pending without being an emergency order. An emergency request asks the court to act sooner under a separate set of requirements.

FL-300 is part of the emergency process, but it is not the entire packet. That process can require a proposed FL-305 temporary emergency order, facts showing the emergency, and a declaration about notice and service. FL-303 may be used for that notice-and-service declaration, and local forms or procedures may also apply.

The court’s emergency procedure addresses matters such as immediate harm, an immediate risk of a child being taken from California, or loss or damage to property. There are specific notice and service rules. Do not assume checking an emergency box lets you skip notice or choose your own deadline.

Use the official emergency-order instructions and your court’s local requirements for that process. If your concern involves immediate safety or protection from abuse, that resource also directs you to domestic violence restraining-order help.

Filing Your Request

What happens after I file FL-300?

The court processes the request and provides hearing information; you then arrange proper service. Filing puts the request in the court file. It does not notify the other person for you and does not mean the requested orders were granted.

File in the court handling the case, following its local filing instructions. FL-300-INFO directs you to make at least two copies of the completed forms and attachments. You may need more copies for additional parties. Some courts accept filing by mail or electronically; check the court’s procedure rather than assuming the same options apply everywhere.

For a paper filing, the clerk keeps the original and returns stamped copies. Check that you have the hearing date, time, location or appearance instructions, and any court directions before arranging service. Keep the filed version of the entire packet.

Is there a filing fee?

A filing fee may apply, and the amount can depend on the request and whether this is your first appearance in the case. Confirm the current fee with the court. If you cannot afford it, you can ask for a fee waiver using FW-001 and the related FW-003 order form. A fee-waiver request is not a supporting attachment to be served on the other party.

Serving Your Request

How do I serve FL-300?

Have a qualified person deliver the filed request and required papers using the service method allowed for your situation. You cannot serve your own papers. For the personal or mail service described here, the server must be at least 18 and not a party to the case. A mail server must also live or work in the county where the mailing takes place.

The packet includes the FL-300 and its attachments, other papers required to be served with the request, and a blank FL-320, Responsive Declaration to Request for Order. When you serve a completed FL-150 or FL-155, include a blank FL-150 as well. Include any temporary emergency orders that must be served. Do not include your fee-waiver papers.

All parties entitled to service must receive the required papers. When a party is represented in the case, service may need to be on the attorney. The method and recipient can change with the stage of the case; follow the official instructions for your situation.

Can the papers be mailed?

Sometimes. Do not assume ordinary mail is always enough. Personal service is required in situations such as serving granted temporary emergency orders or when the court orders it. The service rules also require service in the manner of a summons when the responding party has not appeared in the case.

After judgment, special rules apply. For custody, parenting-time, or child-support requests, permitted mail service requires verification of the other person’s current address. FL-334, Declaration Regarding Address Verification, or a declaration containing the same information, is filed with the proof of service. A request to change long-term spousal support has different service requirements; do not apply the child-support mail exception to it.

Use the official instructions for personal service or service by mail to confirm the method before the server acts. If you need another method, check its specific requirements rather than treating an email or text message as a substitute.

How long before the hearing must FL-300 be served?

The ordinary personal-service deadline is at least 16 court days before the hearing, unless the court orders a different deadline. Court days exclude weekends and court holidays. The hearing date itself is not counted.

For permitted mail service within California, add 5 calendar days to that 16-court-day period. Mailing outside California requires more time. Calendar days and court days are different, so “16 days” on an ordinary calendar is not a safe substitute. Check the court’s order and the applicable mailing period before calculating the deadline.

If you cannot meet the applicable deadline, do not simply cross it out or assume the court will overlook it. The court controls shortened time and hearing changes. Its self-help center can explain the procedure for your situation.

What proves that service happened?

The server completes and signs the appropriate proof: FL-330 for personal service or FL-335 for service by mail. You then file it. FL-300-INFO directs filing the proof at least 5 court days before the hearing. Keep a filed copy and bring it to the hearing.

Serving the papers and filing the proof are separate steps. A completed request sitting in your court file does not show that the other person received it, and an unsigned proof does not establish completed service.

How the Other Person Responds

How does the other person respond to FL-300?

The usual response is FL-320, Responsive Declaration to Request for Order. It lets the other person say which requests they agree or disagree with, identify related orders they want, and give supporting facts. Financial requests may require their current financial declaration too.

The usual deadline is to file and serve the response at least 9 court days before the hearing, unless the court orders a different deadline. The responding party must arrange service; filing the response alone is not enough. The FL-320-INFO information sheet explains the packet, service, and proof requirements.

A response can address a different proposed result on the issues already raised. It is not the way to add an unrelated request for the first time. A person seeking orders on unrelated issues generally needs their own FL-300 and hearing notice.

If no response is filed, the request is not automatically granted. The court can still consider the request and make orders, potentially without the other person’s written input. Filing a response also does not, by itself, cancel the hearing.

The Hearing and Court Order

Do I have to go to a hearing?

Plan to attend the scheduled hearing unless the court tells you otherwise. Follow the court’s instructions about appearing in person or remotely. If you need a different date, use the court’s procedure; neither an informal agreement nor an unanswered request to reschedule is a court order changing the date. Our California RFO hearing explanation covers check-in, who attends, what the judge reviews, what to bring, agreements, disputed issues, and possible outcomes.

For custody and parenting-time disputes, complete the required mediation or recommending-counseling steps. Before the hearing, the official guidance also calls for an effort to resolve the issues with the other side, but provides an exception when there is a restraining order or a safety concern. Do not violate a protective order to have that conversation.

If you reach an agreement, follow the procedure to submit it for the judge’s review and signature. Confirm what happens to the hearing rather than assuming it disappears. The official hearing-preparation guide explains the next steps, including interpreter and disability-accommodation requests.

Bring organized copies of the filed papers, attachments, and proof of service—FL-300-INFO says at least two copies. Follow the filing and service requirements for any additional information you want considered. Bringing a new document for the first time does not guarantee the judge can consider it.

What happens after the judge decides?

The judge may decide the request at the hearing or require another date or more information. After a decision, a written order must accurately reflect what the judge ordered. Court staff may prepare it, or the court may direct a party or attorney to do so.

FL-340, Findings and Order After Hearing, with the appropriate attachments, is commonly used. Follow the court’s directions for preparing, filing, and serving the order. Read the actual order carefully; the result may differ from what either person requested on their forms.

Before You Finish

Have I separated the orders I want from the orders already in effect?
Do the page-1 checkboxes match the requests explained on pages 2–4?
Have I identified the existing order and date wherever I am asking for a change?
Do I have the financial forms and other attachments that apply to these requests?
Are the supporting facts accurate, clearly connected to the requests, and within the applicable declaration limits?
Have I signed the form and any separate declarations that require signatures?
After filing, have I checked the hearing information, service method, service deadline, and proof-of-service deadline?
Have I kept the complete filed packet and arranged to attend the required appointments and hearing?

Official Forms and Sources

This guide uses the current Judicial Council form and instructions, California Rules of Court, and California Courts Self-Help guidance. Local filing, scheduling, and emergency procedures can vary.

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