How-To Guides Riverside
Helping You Understand the Process.
How-to guides serve as invaluable resources, offering clear and systematic instructions to help individuals navigate the legal system and accomplish specific tasks. These guides are designed to demystify complexities of law and empower users with the knowledge needed to successfully complete a task or learn a new skill. Typically structured in a step-by-step format, they break down procedures into manageable and sequential actions, ensuring that users can follow along with ease.
Guides
Family Law
Divorce, Legal Separation or Nullity
To end a marriage or registered domestic partnership in California you must either file for a divorce or an annulment. Once completed it restores the parties to single status.
A legal separation is for couples who do not want to divorce but want to live apart. It does not end a marriage. You cannot remarry or enter in a domestic partnership if you are legally separated.
Family Law Form Packets
| Form Packet Name | Description | Form Links | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petition for Dissolution, Legal Separation or Nullity of Marriage | Start a divorce, legal separation, or nullity case. | English | Español | Referencia en Español |
| Response to Petition for Dissolution, Legal Separation or Nullity of Marriage | Respond (answer) a divorce, legal separation, or nullity petition. | English | Español | Referencia en Español |
| Petition for Summary Dissolution of Marriage | Start a divorce by agreement. Requirements may include, but are not limited to: No children together; Married 5 years or less; Owe no more than $7,000; Do not want spousal support. | English | Español | Information Packet Paquete de información |
| Financial Disclosure Packet | Complete and file in order to satisfy the legal requirements concerning disclosure of all assets, debts and financialinformation for a divorce, legal separation, or nullity case. | English | — |
| Dissolution Default Judgment | Complete a divorce or legal separation case. Requirement: No Response (FL-120) is filed. | English | — |
| Dissolution Default Judgment – With Signed Agreement | Complete a divorce or legal separation case. Requirement: No Response (FL-120) is filed. Both parties have an agreement. | English | — |
| Dissolution Judgment by Agreement | Complete a divorce or legal separation case. Requirement: Response (FL-120) is filed. | English | — |
Paternity
A Paternity case is a legal action filed by an unmarried mother or unmarried father to establish who is the legal father of a child or children. In order to get child support or a custody and visitation order unmarried parents must first establish paternity.
For more information on Custody and Visitation, see the Families and Children page.
| Form Packet Name | Description | Form Links | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petition to Determine Parental Relationship | Start a court case and ask for orders concerning custody, visitation, name change, and child support. | English | — |
| Response to Determine Parental Relationship | Respond to a petition to determine parental relationship. The responding parent can ask for orders concerning custody, visitation, child support, genetic (DNA) tests, or name change concerning the minor child(ren). | English | — |
| Paternity Default Judgment | Complete a parentage case. Requirement: No Response (FL-220) is filed. | English | — |
| Paternity Judgment by Agreement | Complete a parentage case. Requirement: Response (FL-220) is filed. | English | — |
Other Family Law Cases
| Form Packet Name | Description | Form Links | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petition for Custody and Support of Minor Children | Married Couples want the court to make custody and visitation orders and other orders. | English | — |
| Response to Custody and Support of Minor Children | Respond (answer) to a married Couples want the court make custody and visitation orders and other orders. | English | — |
Domestic Violence Restraining Order
A domestic violence restraining order is a court order that helps protect people from abuse or threats of abuse from someone they have a close relationship with.
You can ask for a domestic violence restraining order if:
1. A person has abused (or threatened to abuse) you;
AND
2. You have a close relationship with that person. You are:
- Married or registered domestic partners,
- Divorced or separated,
- Dating or used to date,
- Living together or used to live together (more than roommates),
- Parents together of a child, OR
- Closely related (parent, child, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, in-law).
| Form Packet Name | Description | Form Links | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request for Domestic Violence Restraining Order (with Children) | Restraining order is a court order that helps protect people from abuse or threats of abuse from someone they have a close relationship with minor children | English | Español | Online (external site) Referencia en Español |
| Request for Domestic Violence Restraining Order (without Children) | Restraining order is a court order that helps protect people from abuse or threats of abuse from someone they have a close relationship without minor children | English | Español | Online (external site) Referencia en Español |
| Answer to Domestic Violence Restraining Order | Answer (respond) Restraining order is a court order that helps protect people from abuse or threats of abuse from someone they have a close relationship without minor children | English | Online (External site) |
Other Family Law Packets
| Form Packet Name | Description | Form Links | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request for Order (Non-Emergency) | Schedule a court hearing and ask the court to make new orders or to change orders in a case. | English | Español | Video: How to schedule a hearing? |
| Request for Emergency Order | Schedule an emergency court hearing and ask the court to make new orders or to change orders in a case. | English | Español | Video: How do I file a Request for Temporary Emergency Orders? Video: ¿Como presento una Solicitud de Ordenes de Emergencia Temporales? |
| Request for Order Regarding Overdue Support | Schedule a court hearing and ask the court to enter a judgment for overdue child and/or spousal support not paid. | English | — |
| Responsive Declaration to Request for Order | Response to Request for Order forms. | English | — |
| Service by Email for Department Child Support Services (DCSS) | Serve court documents on the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) by email. | English | — |
| Income Withholding Order for Support | An order the court will sign to allow a party to garnish the paychecks or income sources of a party ordered to pay monthly child support or spousal support. | English | Information Packet (external site) |
| Spousal Support Declaration | The factors the court will consider in establishing or modifying spousal/partner support. | English | — |
| Request to Waive Court Fees | Request to the court to waive filing fees, copy fees, or other court fees. | English | Information Packet (external site) |
| Mandatory Settlement Conference (MSC) | English | How Do I Prepare for an MSC? | |
| Trial Readiness Conference (TRC) | English | — | |
| Income and Expense Declaration | English (external site) | Online (external site) Referencia en Español | |
| How to Separate the forms from my packet? | Instructions on how to separate Self Help packets, to be able to eSubmit. | — | Video: How to Separate the forms from my packet? |
Civil
- Unlawful Detainer – Complaint
- Unlawful Detainer – Answer
- Unlawful Detainer – Default Judgment (possession only)
- Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Order
- Response to Civil Harassment Restraining Order
- Small Claims – Plaintiff’s Claim
- Small Claims – Plaintiff’s Claim (SP)
- Small Claims – Defendant’s Claim
- Small Claims – Defendant’s Claim (SP)
- Answer to contract/ collections
Probate
- Conservatorship – General
- Conservatorship – Dementia
- Conservatorship – Limited
- Fee Waiver – Conservatorship and Guardianship
- Guardianship – General
- Guardianship – Temporary
- Declaration for Collection or Transfer of Small Estate
- Affidavit Re: Real Property of Small Value
- Petition to Determine Succession to Primary Residence
- Spousal Property Petition
- Petition for Probate
- Request for Elder Abuse or Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Order
- Response to Request for Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Orders
- Petition to Commence CARE Act Proceedings (CARE-100)
Criminal
General
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