Fees In Family Law Matters - Superior Court Fees - Government - CA

Section § 70670

This law sets a $355 fee for filing the first official document in various family law cases, including divorce, legal separation, and cases that aren't specifically for dissolving a marriage or domestic partnership. The money is mostly distributed to court funds, but $2 from certain filings goes to a special health fund. This fee also applies if you’re a respondent or other party involved. However, the fee doesn’t apply if you're just filing to disclaim something.

(a) The uniform fee for filing the first paper in a proceeding under the Family Code, other than a proceeding for dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership, legal separation, or nullity, is three hundred fifty-five dollars ($355). The fee shall be distributed as provided in Section 68085.3.

(b) The uniform fee for filing the first paper in a proceeding for dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership, legal separation, or nullity, is three hundred fifty-five dollars ($355). The fee shall be distributed as provided in Section 68085.3, except that two dollars ($2) of the funds that would otherwise be distributed to the Trial Court Trust Fund shall be transmitted to the Treasurer for deposit in the Health Statistics Special Fund.

(c) The uniform fee for filing the first paper in a proceeding under subdivision (a) on behalf of any respondent, defendant, intervenor, or adverse party, whether separately or jointly, is three hundred fifty-five dollars ($355). The fee shall be distributed as provided in Section 68085.3.

(d) The uniform fee for filing the first paper in a proceeding under subdivision (b) on behalf of any respondent, defendant, intervenor, or adverse party, whether separately or jointly, is three hundred fifty-five dollars ($355). The fee shall be distributed as provided in Section 68085.3.

(e) The fees in this section do not apply to papers filed for the purpose of making a disclaimer.

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Section § 70671

This section clarifies that certain documents are not considered "paper" under a specific California government code. These exceptions include a declaration from a spouse or partner related to legal proceedings, settlement agreements intended for divorce decrees, documents changing child support after judgment, and orders related to preventing domestic violence.

As used in subdivision (c) or (d) of Section 70670, the term “paper” does not include any of the following:

(a) The declaration of a spouse or domestic partner filed in an order to show cause proceeding.

(b) A settlement agreement or a stipulation for judgment that is signed by a defaulted respondent and intended for incorporation in a proposed decree of dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership.

(c) A stipulation regarding the date of termination of the marital or domestic partnership status if the court has retained jurisdiction over that date.

(d) A document relating to a stipulated postjudgment modification of child support.

(e) A stipulation to modify a settlement agreement that was signed by a defaulted respondent and incorporated in a decree of dissolution if the stipulation is presented by the petitioner.

(f) A request for an order to prevent domestic violence or a responsive declaration to that request.

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Section § 70672

If you're involved in a legal case about child parentage or support where a Title IV-D child support agency is helping, you don't have to pay any fees to file your initial paperwork or any other documents related to these issues.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no fee shall be charged to file a first paper or any subsequent pleading or document on issues relating to parentage or support in a case in which a Title IV-D child support agency is providing services under Section 17400 of the Family Code.

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Section § 70673

If you are a member of the U.S. armed forces involved in a case such as divorce, legal separation, annulment, or establishing parentage, and you do not contest the case, you won't need to pay a fee to file your response and waive rights under the Service members Civil Relief Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no fee shall be charged to file a respondent’s appearance, stipulation if any, and waiver of rights in the action under the Service members Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. Secs. 501 to 596, inclusive) in an action for dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership, legal separation, or nullity, or to establish parentage, in any case wherein the respondent is a member of the armed forces of the United States and does not contest the action for dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership, legal separation, or nullity, or to establish parentage.

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Section § 70674

This law states that public agencies have to pay a $10 fee for a certified copy of a marriage or domestic partnership dissolution record, which they need for their regular duties. Other applicants must pay $15 for the same document. From the $15 collected, $5 goes to the state's Family Law Trust Fund, and the rest goes to the Trial Court Trust Fund. A dissolution record here refers to the official judgment of the dissolution.

(a) Except as provided by Section 6103.9, and notwithstanding the fee authorized by paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 70626, a fee of ten dollars ($10) shall be paid by a public agency applicant for a certified copy of a marriage or domestic partnership dissolution record that the agency is required to obtain in the ordinary course of business. A fee of fifteen dollars ($15) shall be paid by any other applicant for a certified copy of a marriage or domestic partnership dissolution record. Five dollars ($5) of any fifteen dollar ($15) fee shall be transmitted monthly to the state for deposit into the Family Law Trust Fund as provided by Section 1852 of the Family Code. The remainder of the fees collected under this section shall be deposited into the Trial Court Trust Fund.

(b) As used in this section, “marriage or domestic partnership dissolution record” means the judgment.

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Section § 70676

This law states that people who cannot afford to pay, known as indigent petitioners, are not required to pay fees for obtaining certified copies of certain legal orders. These orders are related to specific family law matters outlined in various articles and divisions of the Family Code.

No fee shall be charged to an indigent petitioner for certified copies of any order issued pursuant to any of the following:

(a) Article 2 (commencing with Section 2045), Article 3 (commencing with Section 2047), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 2049) of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 6 of the Family Code.

(b) Division 10 (commencing with Section 6200) of the Family Code.

(c) Article 2 (commencing with Section 7710), Article 3 (commencing with Section 7720), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 7730) of Chapter 6 of Part 3 of Division 12 of the Family Code.

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Section § 70677

This law section outlines the filing fees for certain legal motions and papers in California courts. If you're filing a motion or paper that needs a hearing and it is not the first paper in a case, it will cost $60. This includes requests for orders about child or spousal support, custody, property, and attorney's fees. However, there's no fee for certain filings, like the first paper in a case, motions to prevent domestic violence, or registering foreign support orders.

For motions not needing a hearing, like a request to reschedule a case or a stipulation, the fee is $20. Each separate motion requires a separate filing fee, but when multiple issues are combined in a single motion, only one fee is charged. The Judicial Council can set rules to ensure fees are applied uniformly across courts.

(a) The uniform fee for filing any motion, application, order to show cause, or any other paper requiring a hearing subsequent to the first paper is sixty dollars ($60). Papers for which this fee shall be charged include the following:

(1) Papers listed in subdivision (a) of Section 70617.

(2) An order to show cause or notice of motion seeking temporary prejudgment or postjudgment orders, including, but not limited to, orders to establish, modify, or enforce child, spousal, or partner support, custody and visitation of children, division and control of property, attorney’s fees, and bifurcation of issues.

(b) There shall be no fee under subdivision (a) of this section for filing any of the following:

(1) A motion, motion to quash proceeding, application, or demurrer that is the first paper filed in an action and on which a first paper filing fee is paid.

(2) An amended notice of motion or amended order to show cause.

(3) A statement to register foreign support under Section 5700.602 of the Family Code.

(4) An application to determine the judgment after entry of default.

(5) A request for an order to prevent domestic violence.

(6) A paper requiring a hearing on a petition for writ of review, mandate, or prohibition that is the first paper filed in an action and on which a first paper filing fee has been paid.

(7) A stipulation that does not require an order.

(1) A request, application, or motion for the continuance of a hearing or case management conference.

(2) A stipulation and order.

(d) Regardless of whether each motion or matter is heard at a single hearing or at separate hearings, the filing fees required under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) and under subdivision (c) apply separately to each motion or other paper filed. If an order to show cause or notice of motion is filed as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) combining requests for relief or opposition to relief on more than one issue, only one filing fee shall be charged under this section. The Judicial Council may publish rules to give uniform guidance to courts in applying fees under this section.

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Section § 70678

When you file a motion or request with the court to change or enforce a child custody or visitation order, you need to pay an extra $25 fee. Of this fee, $15 goes towards funding mediation services to help resolve family disputes, and $10 supports the services provided by family law facilitators who assist with understanding legal processes and documents.

In addition to the fee set forth in Section 70677, a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be paid to the clerk of the court at the time of filing a motion, order to show cause, or other proceeding seeking to modify or enforce that portion of any judgment or order entered in this state or any other state which orders or awards the custody of a minor child or children or which specifies the rights of any party to the proceeding to visitation of a minor child or children. Fifteen dollars ($15) of the fee authorized in this section shall be used exclusively to pay the costs of maintaining mediation services provided under Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 3160) of Part 2 of Division 8 of the Family Code, and ten dollars ($10) of the fee shall be used exclusively to pay the costs of services provided by the family law facilitator under Section 10005 of the Family Code.

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