Family and Juvenile Rules
Current through July 1, 2025
Chapter 1 · Family Rules
- 5.1 Title
- 5.111 Declarations supporting and responding to a request for court order Deadlines
- 5.112.1 Declaration page limitation; exemptions
- 5.113 Live testimony
- 5.115 Judicial notice
- 5.12 Request for order regarding discovery
- 5.123 Reporting of hearing proceedings
- 5.125 Preparation, service, and submission of order after hearing Deadlines
- 5.130 Request for Special Immigrant Juvenile findings
- 5.14 Sanctions for violations of rules of court in family law cases
- 5.151 Request for temporary emergency (ex parte) orders; application; required documents
- 5.16 Designation of parties
- 5.165 Requirements for notice Deadlines
- 5.167 Service of application; temporary restraining orders
- 5.169 Personal appearance at hearing for temporary emergency orders
- 5.17 Other causes of action
- 5.170 Matters not requiring notice to other parties
- 5.18 Injunctive relief and reservation of jurisdiction
- 5.2 Division title; definitions; application of rules and laws Deadlines
- 5.210 Court-connected child custody mediation Deadlines
- 5.215 Domestic violence protocol for Family Court Services Deadlines
- 5.220 Court-ordered child custody evaluations
- 5.225 Appointment requirements for child custody evaluators Deadlines
- 5.230 Domestic violence training standards for court-appointed child custody investigators and evaluators Deadlines
- 5.235 Ex parte communication in child custody proceedings
- 5.24 Joinder of persons claiming interest Deadlines
- 5.240 Appointment of counsel to represent a child in family law proceedings
- 5.241 Compensation of counsel appointed to represent a child in a family law proceeding Deadlines
- 5.242 Qualifications, rights, and responsibilities of counsel appointed to represent a child in family law proceedings Deadlines
- 5.250 Children's participation and testimony in family court proceedings Deadlines
- 5.252 Guidelines for developing parenting plans and issuing court orders involving virtual visitation
- 5.260 General provisions regarding support cases Deadlines
- 5.275 Standards for computer software to assist in determining support Deadlines
- 5.29 Joinder of employee pension benefit plan
- 5.300 Purpose, authority, and definitions
- 5.305 Hearing of matters by a judge under Family Code sections 4251(a) and 4252(b)(7)
- 5.310 Use of existing family law forms
- 5.311 Implementation of new and revised governmental forms by local child support agencies Deadlines
- 5.315 Memorandum of points and authorities
- 5.320 Attorney of record in support actions under title IV-D of the Social Security Act
- 5.324 Telephone appearance in title IV-D hearings and conferences Deadlines
- 5.325 Procedures for clerk's handling of combined summons and complaint
- 5.330 Procedures for child support case registry form
- 5.335 Procedures for hearings on interstate income withholding orders Deadlines
- 5.340 Judicial education for child support commissioners Deadlines
- 5.350 Procedures for hearings to cancel (set aside) voluntary declarations of parentage or paternity when no previous action has been filed Deadlines
- 5.355 Minimum standards of training for court clerk staff whose assignment includes title IV-D child support cases Deadlines
- 5.360 Appearance by local child support agency
- 5.365 Procedure for consolidation of child support orders
- 5.370 Party designation in interstate and intrastate cases
- 5.372 Transfer of title IV-D cases between tribal court and state court Deadlines
- 5.375 Procedure for a support obligor to file a motion regarding mistaken identity
- 5.380 Agreement and judgment of parentage in Domestic Violence Prevention Act cases
- 5.381 Modification of child custody, visitation, and support orders in Domestic Violence Prevention Act cases
- 5.382 Request to make minor's information confidential in domestic violence protective order proceedings Deadlines
- 5.386 Procedures for filing a tribal court protective order
- 5.390 Bifurcation of issues Deadlines
- 5.392 Interlocutory appeals Deadlines
- 5.393 Setting trials and long-cause hearings Deadlines
- 5.394 Trial or hearing brief Deadlines
- 5.4 Preemption; local rules and forms
- 5.40 Filing fees
- 5.401 Default
- 5.402 Request for default; forms
- 5.405 Judgment checklists
- 5.407 Review of default and uncontested judgments submitted on the basis of declaration under Family Code section 2336
- 5.409 Default and uncontested judgment hearings on judgments submitted on the basis of declarations under Family Code section 2336
- 5.41 Waiver of fees and costs
- 5.411 Stipulated judgments
- 5.413 Notice of entry of judgment
- 5.415 Completion of notice of entry of judgment
- 5.420 Domestic violence procedures for court-connected settlement service providers
- 5.425 Limited scope representation; application of rules Deadlines
- 5.427 Attorney's fees and costs Deadlines
- 5.43 Fee waiver denials; voided actions; dismissal Deadlines
- 5.430 Minimum standards for the Office of the Family Law Facilitator Deadlines
- 5.440 Related cases
- 5.445 Court communication protocol for domestic violence and child custody orders.
- 5.448 Minor's request to marry or establish a domestic partnership Deadlines
- 5.45 Repayment of waived court fees and costs in family law support actions
- 5.46 Waiver of fees and costs-Supreme Court or Court of Appeal
- 5.50 Papers issued by the court
- 5.51 Confidential cover sheet for parentage actions or proceedings involving assisted reproduction; other requirements
- 5.52 Declaration under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) Deadlines
- 5.60 Petition or complaint; alternative relief
- 5.62 Appearance by respondent
- 5.63 Request for order to quash proceeding or responsive relief Deadlines
- 5.66 Proof of service
- 5.68 Manner of service of summons and petition; response; jurisdiction
- 5.7 Use of forms
- 5.72 Court order for service by publication or posting when respondent's address is unknown
- 5.74 Pleadings and amended pleadings
- 5.76 Domestic partnerships
- 5.77 Summary dissolution Deadlines
- 5.83 Family centered case resolution Deadlines
- 5.9 Appearance by telephone
- 5.90 Format of papers
- 5.91 Individual restraining order
- 5.92 Request for court order; responsive declaration
- 5.94 Order shortening time; other filing requirements; failure to serve request for order Deadlines
- 5.95 Request to reschedule hearing Deadlines
- 5.96 Place and manner of filing
- 5.97 Time frames for transferring jurisdiction Deadlines
- 5.98 Meet-and-confer requirements; document exchange
Chapter 2 · Rules Applicable in Family and Juvenile Proceedings
- 5.451 Contact after adoption agreement
- 5.460 Request for sibling contact information Deadlines
- 5.475 Custody and visitation orders following termination of a juvenile court proceeding or probate court guardianship proceeding Deadlines
- 5.480 Application Deadlines
- 5.481 Inquiry and notice
- 5.482 Proceedings after notice Deadlines
- 5.483 Dismissal and transfer of case
- 5.484 Emergency proceedings involving an Indian child Deadlines
- 5.485 Placement of an Indian child
- 5.486 Termination of parental rights
- 5.487 Petition to invalidate orders
- 5.488 Adoption record keeping
- 5.490 Adoption of a child resident in the United States by a resident of a foreign country party to the Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention or Hague Adoption Convention) Deadlines
- 5.491 Adoption of a child resident in the United States by a resident of a foreign country not party to the Hague Adoption Convention
- 5.492 Adoption by a United States resident of a child resident in a foreign country that is party to the Hague Adoption Convention
- 5.493 Requirement to request adoption under California law of a child born in a foreign country when the adoption is finalized in the foreign country (Fam. Code, §§ 8912, 8919) Deadlines
- 5.496 Service requirement for proposed restrained persons who appear remotely
Chapter 3 · Juvenile Rules
- 5.500 Division title
- 5.501 Preliminary provisions
- 5.502 Definitions and use of terms Deadlines
- 5.504 Judicial Council forms Deadlines
- 5.505 Juvenile dependency court performance measures Deadlines
- 5.510 Proper court; determination of child’s residence; exclusive jurisdiction; retention of jurisdiction after death of child or nonminor dependent
- 5.512 Joint assessment procedure Deadlines
- 5.514 Intake; guidelines Deadlines
- 5.516 Factors to consider
- 5.518 Court-connected child protection/dependency mediation Deadlines
- 5.520 Filing the petition; application for petition
- 5.522 Remote filing
- 5.523 Electronic service (§ 212.5) Deadlines
- 5.524 Form of petition; notice of hearing
- 5.526 Citation to appear; warrants of arrest; subpoenas
- 5.530 Persons present Deadlines
- 5.531 Appearance by telephone (§ 388; Pen. Code § 2625) Deadlines
- 5.532 Court reporter; transcripts
- 5.534 General provisions-all proceedings Deadlines
- 5.536 General provisions-proceedings held before referees
- 5.538 Conduct of proceedings held before a referee not acting as a temporary judge
- 5.540 Orders of referees not acting as temporary judges Deadlines
- 5.542 Rehearing of proceedings before referees Deadlines
- 5.544 Prehearing motions (§ 700.1)
- 5.546 Prehearing discovery
- 5.548 Granting immunity to witnesses
- 5.550 Continuances Deadlines
- 5.551 Confidentiality of a juvenile case file (§ 827)
- 5.552 Procedure for requesting any juvenile delinquency case file and a living child’s juvenile dependency case file (§§ 827(a)(1), 827.12, 828) Deadlines
- 5.553 Procedure for requesting a deceased child’s juvenile dependency case file (§ 827(a)(2)) Deadlines
- 5.555 Hearing to consider termination of juvenile court jurisdiction over a nonminor-dependents or wards of the juvenile court in a foster care placement and nonminor dependents (§§ 224.1(b), 303, 366.31, 391, 451, 452, 607.2, 607.3, 16501.1 (g)(16)) Deadlines
- 5.560 General provisions
- 5.565 Hearing on subsequent and supplemental petitions (§§ 342, 364, 386, 387) Deadlines
- 5.570 Request to change court order (petition for modification) Deadlines
- 5.575 Joinder of agencies Deadlines
- 5.580 Hearing on violation of probation (§ 777) Deadlines
- 5.585 Rules governing appellate review
- 5.590 Advisement of right to review in section 300, 601, or 602 cases Deadlines
- 5.595 Stay pending appeal
- 5.605 Emancipation of minors Deadlines
- 5.610 Transfer-out hearing Deadlines
- 5.612 Transfer-in hearing Deadlines
- 5.613 Transfer of nonminor dependents Deadlines
- 5.614 Out-of-county placements Deadlines
- 5.616 Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children Deadlines
- 5.618 Placement in short-term residential therapeutic program (§§ 361.22, 727.12) Deadlines
- 5.619 Voluntary placement in psychiatric residential treatment facility (Welf. & Inst. Code, §§ 361.23, 727.13) Deadlines
- 5.620 Orders after filing under section 300
- 5.625 Orders after filing of petition under section 601 or 602 Deadlines
- 5.630 Restraining orders
- 5.632 Civil harassment, workplace violence prevention, and domestic violence prevention orders
- 5.635 Parentage
- 5.637 Family Finding (§§ 309(e), 628(d)) Deadlines
- 5.640 Psychotropic medications Deadlines
- 5.642 Authorization to release psychotropic medication prescription information to Medical Board of California Deadlines
- 5.643 Mental health or condition of child; court procedures Deadlines
- 5.645 Mental health or condition of child; competency evaluations Deadlines
- 5.647 Medi-Cal: Presumptive Transfer of Specialty Mental Health Services Deadlines
- 5.649 Right to make educational or developmental-services decisions Deadlines
- 5.650 Appointed educational rights holder Deadlines
- 5.651 Educational and developmental-services decisionmaking rights Deadlines
- 5.652 Access to pupil records for truancy purposes Deadlines
- 5.655 Program requirements for Court Appointed Special Advocate programs Deadlines
- 5.660 Attorneys for parties (§§ 317, 317.5, 317.6, 353, 366.26, 16010.6) Deadlines
- 5.661 Representation of the child on appeal Deadlines
- 5.662 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) guardian ad litem for a child subject to a juvenile dependency petition
- 5.663 Responsibilities of children's counsel in delinquency proceedings (§§ 202, 265, 633, 634, 634.3 634.6, 679, 700)
- 5.664 Training requirements for children's counsel in delinquency proceedings (§ 634.3) Deadlines
- 5.667 Service and notice
- 5.668 Commencement of hearing-explanation of proceedings (§§ 316, 316.2) Deadlines
- 5.670 Initial hearing; detention hearings; time limit on custody; setting jurisdiction hearing; visitation (§§ 309, 311, 313, 315, 362.1) Deadlines
- 5.672 Continuances Deadlines
- 5.674 Conduct of hearing; admission, no contest, submission Deadlines
- 5.676 Requirements for detention
- 5.678 Findings in support of detention; factors to consider; reasonable efforts; active efforts; detention alternatives
- 5.682 Commencement of jurisdiction hearing-advisement of trial rights; admission, no contest, submission Deadlines
- 5.684 Contested hearing on petition Deadlines
- 5.690 General conduct of disposition hearing Deadlines
- 5.695 Findings and orders of the court-disposition Deadlines
- 5.697 Disposition Hearing for a Nonminor (Welf. & Inst. Code, §§ 224.1, 295, 303, 358, 358.1, 361, 366.31, 390, 391) Deadlines
- 5.700 Termination of jurisdiction-custody and visitation orders (§§ 302, 304, 361.2, 362.4, 726.5) Deadlines
- 5.705 Setting a hearing under section 366.26
- 5.706 Family maintenance review hearings (§ 364) Deadlines
- 5.707 Review or dispositional hearing requirements for child approaching majority (§§ 224.1, 366(a)(1)(F), 366.3, 366.31, 16501.1(f)(16)) Deadlines
- 5.708 General review hearing requirements Deadlines
- 5.710 Six-month review hearing Deadlines
- 5.715 Twelve-month permanency hearing Deadlines
- 5.720 Eighteen-month permanency review hearing
- 5.722 Twenty-four-month subsequent permanency review hearing
- 5.725 Selection of permanent plan (§§ 366.24, 366.26, 727.31) Deadlines
- 5.726 Prospective adoptive parent designation (§§ 366.26(n), 16010.6) Deadlines
- 5.727 Proposed removal (§ 366.26(n)) Deadlines
- 5.728 Emergency removal (§ 366.26(n)) Deadlines
- 5.730 Adoption Deadlines
- 5.735 Legal guardianship
- 5.740 Hearings after selection of a permanent plan (§§ 366.26, 366.3, 16501.1) Deadlines
- 5.752 Initial hearing; detention hearings; time limit on custody; setting jurisdiction hearing Deadlines
- 5.754 Commencement of initial hearing-explanation, advisement, admission
- 5.756 Conduct of detention hearing
- 5.758 Requirements for detention; prima facie case
- 5.760 Detention hearing; report; grounds; determinations; findings; orders; factors to consider for detention; restraining orders
- 5.762 Detention rehearings Deadlines
- 5.764 Prima facie hearings Deadlines
- 5.766 General provisions Deadlines
- 5.768 Report of probation officer Deadlines
- 5.770 Conduct of transfer of jurisdiction hearing under section 707 Deadlines
- 5.774 Setting petition for hearing-detained and nondetained cases; waiver of hearing Deadlines
- 5.776 Grounds for continuance of jurisdiction hearing Deadlines
- 5.778 Commencement of hearing on section 601 or section 602 petition; right to counsel; advisement of trial rights; admission, no contest
- 5.780 Contested hearing on section 601 or section 602 petition
- 5.782 Continuance pending disposition hearing Deadlines
- 5.785 General conduct of hearing Deadlines
- 5.790 Orders of the court Deadlines
- 5.795 Required determinations
- 5.800 Deferred entry of judgment Deadlines
- 5.804 Commitment to secure youth treatment facility Deadlines
- 5.806 Secure youth treatment facility baseline term Deadlines
- 5.807 Secure youth treatment facility progress review process Deadlines
- 5.808 Discharge from secure youth treatment facility (§ 875(e)(3) & (4)) Deadlines
- 5.810 Reviews, hearings, and permanency planning Deadlines
- 5.811 Modification to transition jurisdiction for a ward older than 17 years and 5 months with a petition subject to dismissal (Welf. & Inst. Code, §§ 450, 451, 727.2(i)-(j), 778; Pen. Code, § 236.14) Deadlines
- 5.812 Additional requirements for any hearing to terminate jurisdiction over child in foster care and for status review or dispositional hearing for child approaching majority (§§ 450, 451, 727.2(i)-(j), 778) Deadlines
- 5.813 Modification to transition jurisdiction for a ward older than 18 years and younger than 21 years of age (§§ 450, 451) Deadlines
- 5.814 Modification to transition jurisdiction for a ward older than 17 years, 5 months of age and younger than 18 years of age (§§ 450, 451) Deadlines
- 5.815 Appointment of legal guardians for wards of the juvenile court; modification or termination of guardianship Legal guardianship-wards (§§ 366.26, 727.3, 728)
- 5.820 Termination of parental rights for child in foster care for 15 of the last 22 months Deadlines
- 5.825 Freeing wards for adoption
- 5.830 Sealing records (§ 781) Deadlines
- 5.840 Dismissal of petition and sealing of records (§ 786) Deadlines
- 5.850 850 Sealing of records by probation in diversion cases (§ 786.5) Deadlines
- 5.860 Prosecuting attorney request to access sealed juvenile case files Deadlines
- 5.900 Nonminor dependent-preliminary provisions (§§ 224.1(b), 295, 303, 366, 366.3, 388, 391, 607(a)) Deadlines
- 5.903 Nonminor dependent status review hearing (§§ 224.1(b), 295, 366.1, 366.3, 366.31) Deadlines
- 5.906 Request by nonminor for the juvenile court to resume jurisdiction (§§ 224.1(b), 303, 388(e), 388.1) Deadlines