Yes. A spouse who willfully ignores a California spousal support order can be held in contempt. Here is how FL-410 contempt works, what you must prove, the three-year deadline, and the alternatives.

California courts can set aside all or part of a divorce judgment for fraud, perjury, duress, mental incapacity, mistake, or nondisclosure, but only within strict deadlines. Here is how Family Code section 2122 and CCP 473 work.

Child support in California can be reduced after a job loss, but the court cannot go back further than the date you file. Here is how the modification process works and what judges look at.

California custody orders can be changed, but the standard depends on whether your order is final. Here is how the changed circumstances rule, FL-300 filing, and mediation work.

When a parent is unemployed or underemployed, California courts can calculate child support on earning capacity instead of actual income. Here is how imputed income works and how to prove or defend against it.

How to file contempt for unpaid child support in California: FL-410 and FL-411, personal service, the elements, jail and fines under CCP 1218, and defenses.

California judges cannot erase back child support that has already come due, but there are real ways to reduce what you owe, stop interest from piling up, and settle arrears owed to the state or the other parent.

Job loss, retirement, a raise, cohabitation, or a supported spouse who never became self-supporting can all justify a change in California spousal support. Here is how modification actually works, from the FL-300 to the hearing.

Whether you can relocate with your child in California depends on your custody order, the distance, and the LaMusga factors judges weigh. Here is how move-away cases work in San Bernardino and Riverside County, what notice you must give, and the mistakes that lose them.

Meta Description: Learn how to modify custody orders in California. Discover why mediation saves time, money, and protects your relationship with your child—vs. expensive litigation --- INTRODUCTION Your circumstances have changed. Maybe you've relocated for work. Maybe your ex isn't following the custody schedule. Maybe you want more time with your kids, or your living situation has improved and you can provide better stability. Whatever the reason, you're aski

Life changes, and so do the financial needs of children and their parents. If you’re paying or receiving child support in California and something significant in your situation has changed—such as job loss, income increase, or a change in custodial time—you may be eligible to modify your child support order. In this 2025 California-focused guide, we explain when and how to seek a child support modification, what courts require, and how to avoid common pitfalls in the process.

To modify a child custody order in San Bernardino County or Riverside County, you file a Request for Order on form FL-300, show why the change is in the child's best interest, and go through child custody recommending counseling before the hearing. This guide covers the forms, the legal standard, the local process, and the evidence that actually moves judges.

Custody orders are not permanent, but changing one takes more than wanting a different schedule. This article explains how to file an FL-300 Request for Order to modify custody, what a significant change of circumstances means under Montenegro v. Diaz, what happens at child custody recommending counseling, what evidence judges in Riverside and San Bernardino expect, and how a stipulation can avoid a hearing entirely.