Child Support
Child support is the amount of money that a court orders a parent or both parents to pay every month to help pay for the support of the child (or children) and the child’s living expenses.
Where to get Help?
The Family Law Facilitator's Office and the Self-Help Center are available for information, document checks of your completed forms, and instructional packets that may be of assistance in filling out child support forms.
Whenever you come to the Self-Help Center /Facilitators office it is very important that you bring all of your support related documents, and a photo identification with you.
The Self-Help Center offers a clinic that provides assistance with filling out the forms to ask the court to modify your ongoing Child Support Order. Please check the Clinic Calendar for the “Motion to Modify Ongoing Child Support” clinic.
All other child support-related motions will be referred to the “Request for Orders: Other Issues” clinic which requires pre-registration.
How do I calculate child support?
Before you file papers with the court to establish a child support order or to modify an existing child support order, you may want to calculate what the monthly child support amount may be. This presentation provides basic instructions on how to use the online child support calculator.
Online Assistance
There are several Self-Help resources that can be accessed from anywhere with internet. The California Courts website has information on a variety of case types and issues, and court forms. If you want help completing court forms online, Odyssey Guide & File is a free program that guides a user through a series of questions with the goal of producing legal forms that may be printed, then filed with the court.