Alameda County Superior Court
Family Court Self Help
The Family Court section of this website focuses on family matters that relate to domestic violence (restraining orders), elder abuse, divorce, child custody, visitation, establishing paternity, and child support.
Other kinds of cases that involve families are covered in separate sections of the website. If you are looking for information about criminal law violations by a child under the age of 18, visit the Juvenile section of this website.
If you are searching for information about a wide range of matters related to taking care of family members and their personal affairs, including matters like disposing of property after death through Wills or Trusts, guardianship and conservatorships for people who cannot care for themselves or manage their personal financial matters, name changes, civil harrasment, adoptions visit the Civil section of this website.
If you wish to fill out forms on line you may click on this link http://www.ezlegalfile.com/index.jsp
What you can learn here:
- Get an order from the court for child support
- Raise or lower child support
- Respond to a Department of Child Support Services Child Support action
- Get a court order for custody or visitation
- Change a court order for custody or visitation
- File for a divorce or finalize a divorce
- Get a court order for spousal support
- Change a court order for spousal support
- Get a restraining order (information only)
- Participate in the Parent Orientation and Mediation program regarding child custody and visitation issues
- Determine fees for filing documents with the court
- Apply for a waiver of filing fees
- Get telephone numbers and locations of Family Court offices
- Get help, information, forms, or Self Service guides from other sources
What you can do here:
- Fill out documents for Family Court
- Receive information on how to get family law information packets (there may be a cost for some of the forms)
- Review local Rules of Court governing family law in Alameda County
- See or print a map of how to get to the Family Court building
- Receive information regarding direct fax filing
- Review a diagram of how family law cases usually flow through the Court
- Print forms that you can then fill out and file in the Family Court
- Review or print the fee schedule
What you cannot do here:
- Get legal advice
- Electronically file documents in the Family Court
- File to get a restraining order (You must come to Family Court to file the papers. You cannot file them online).
This material is maintained and provided as a service to our community by the Alameda County Superior Court. Comments and suggestions are welcome.