This is a document preparation tool, not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice.
This is a document preparation tool. We do not provide legal advice. Tooltips explain what each field asks for — not what you should enter.
Step 1 of 7 — Your Case
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Your Case

Basic information about your divorce case. You can find most of this on any court paperwork you've received.

This form is signed under penalty of perjury
The FL-150 is the most scrutinized form in California family law. You sign it under penalty of perjury, and the other side's attorney will cross-examine your numbers against bank statements and tax returns. Under Family Code 2107(c), sanctions for inaccurate disclosures are mandatory, not discretionary — in amounts "sufficient to deter repetition." In one case, a court imposed $300,000 in combined sanctions and fees. Accuracy protects you. Errors hurt you. This is general information, not legal advice.
Case information
The person who originally filed the divorce petition (FL-100).
Not sure who's who? The petitioner is whoever filed the divorce paperwork first. The respondent is the other person. Check the top of any court paper you've received — it will say which name is which.
The other spouse who responded to the petition.
The respondent is the other person in the divorce — the one who received the paperwork. Use their full legal name exactly as it appears on court documents.
Found on any document from your case. Usually starts with a year and "D" for dissolution.
Look at the top right corner of any court paper you've received. The case number usually looks like 24D012345 — it starts with the year and has a "D" for dissolution (divorce). If you haven't received any paperwork yet, leave this blank for now.

Court Information

Type the name of your county or courthouse. We'll auto-fill the address for you.

Attorney Information (optional — skip if no lawyer) Only fill this out if you have a lawyer. Most people filing FL-150 on their own leave this entire section blank.

If you don't have a lawyer, leave this entire section blank — skip straight to the next step. Many people fill out the FL-150 on their own. The court calls this "self-represented" or "pro se." There is no penalty for not having an attorney.
Your lawyer's full name. Leave blank if you're representing yourself.
Your attorney's California State Bar number. They will know this — ask them if unsure.
This is your attorney's California State Bar license number. It's a 5-6 digit number that every licensed attorney has. Your lawyer will know it — it's on their business card, letterhead, and website. If you don't have a lawyer, skip this entirely.
Which party the attorney represents (e.g., your name if you have an attorney).

About You

Your work, education, and tax information.

Changing jobs? The court pays attention
If you recently quit your job, took a pay cut, or reduced hours, the court will examine why and when. Under Family Code 4058(b), judges can "impute" income — meaning they calculate support based on what you could earn, not what you actually earn. This applies when someone is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. If you're genuinely unemployed, document your job search. The court can order a vocational examination to assess your earning capacity. Quitting or reducing hours right before a support hearing is one of the riskiest moves in family law. This is general information, not legal advice.
Personal information

How do you earn money?

Pick the option that best describes your situation. This helps us show you only the fields you need.

That's okay. You can enter "Unemployed" for your employer. The court still needs to know about your expenses and any other income you receive (like disability, public assistance, or family support).
Pay stubs show your recent earnings per pay period — upload your last 2 so we can calculate your monthly average. W-2 is the form your employer sends every January showing your total earnings for the whole year. Either one works — use whichever you have handy. You can upload a PDF or take a photo with your phone.
Upload a PDF or photo of your pay stub or W-2
PDF, JPG, PNG — or take a photo with your phone
Your file never leaves your browser — 100% private
Your P&L (Profit & Loss) shows your business income minus expenses. If you use QuickBooks, Wave, or FreshBooks, you can export it as a PDF. You can also take a photo of a printed copy.
Upload a PDF or photo of your Profit & Loss
PDF, JPG, PNG — or take a photo with your phone
Your file never leaves your browser — 100% private

Employment (Section 1)

Your current employer's company name.
Enter the name of the company you work for. If you work for yourself, write "Self-Employed." If you're not working, write "Unemployed."
Where you physically work. Start typing and select from suggestions.
Your job title or general description of what you do.
Average hours you work per week at this job.
Your total pay BEFORE taxes for one pay period.
This is your pay BEFORE taxes. Look at the top of your pay stub where it says "Gross Pay" or "Gross Earnings." It's the bigger number — not what you take home. For example, if your paycheck deposit is $2,800 but your stub shows $3,500 at the top, enter $3,500.
How often do you receive a paycheck? Weekly = every week (52 checks/year). Every 2 weeks = every other Friday (26 checks/year). Monthly = once a month (12 checks/year). Check your pay stub if you're not sure.

Age & Education (Section 2)

High school graduate?

Tax Information (Section 3)

This section asks about your most recent tax return. If you filed taxes last year, check "I have filed" and fill in the year. Most people in California file both a federal and a state return.
The most recent tax year you filed (e.g., 2024).
Filing status:
Which tax returns did you file?
If you live and work in California, you almost certainly filed both. Federal = IRS Form 1040 (everyone who files). California = FTB Form 540 (state taxes). Only uncheck one if you didn't file it (e.g., military stationed out of state, or below the state filing threshold).
Most California residents check both boxes
How many people you claim as dependents on your tax return.
A dependent is usually your child who lives with you. Count the number of children (or other people) you claimed on your last tax return. If you're not sure, check your tax return — look for "dependents" on the first page.

Other Party's Income (Section 4)

Your best guess is fine. The judge knows you might not have exact numbers for your spouse's income. Just estimate based on what you know — their job, lifestyle, or any pay stubs you've seen. Write down how you came up with the number.
This is your chance to flag income discrepancies
The judge compares both parties' FL-150s side by side. If your spouse claims to earn $5,000/month but you know they earn $12,000, your estimate creates a red flag the court will want to resolve. Base your estimate on joint tax returns, their employer, or their observed lifestyle — and explain your reasoning. If you filed joint returns, those show exactly what your spouse earned. Significant discrepancies between what you estimate and what they report will trigger scrutiny. This is general information, not legal advice.
Your best estimate of what the other party earns per month.
Explain how you arrived at that estimate.

Your Income

Monthly income from all sources. Enter amounts for last month and your average month.

How the court uses your income
Your income is the single biggest factor in how much support you pay or receive. The court plugs both parties' incomes into California's support formula — the numbers here directly determine the outcome. Judges see hundreds of these forms and will verify your numbers against tax returns and pay stubs. If they believe income is being hidden, they can "impute" income — meaning they assign you a higher earning capacity and calculate support based on what they think you could earn, not what you claim. Report everything accurately. This is general information, not legal advice.
Income information

Section 5 — Monthly Income

For each income source, enter two numbers: what you earned last month and your typical monthly average. If a source doesn't apply, leave it blank or enter 0.
Source
Last Month
Monthly Average
Gross pay (before taxes) from employment.
Extra pay for overtime hours.
Commissions, bonuses, or tips.
Government assistance payments.
Alimony/spousal support received.
Domestic partner support received.
Pension, retirement, or annuity payments.
Social Security benefits.
Disability payments.
Unemployment insurance benefits.
Workers' compensation payments.
Any other income not listed above.

Section 6 — Investment Income

Income from stocks, bonds, bank interest.
Net income from rental properties.
Distributions from trusts.
Royalties, licensing, or other investment income.

Section 7 — Self-Employment

If you own a business or do freelance work (Uber, DoorDash, handyman, cleaning, consulting, etc.), fill this out. "Net income" means what's left after you subtract your business expenses from your business revenue.

Sections 8-9 — Additional / Changed Income

List any income from sources not already covered.
Explain what changed.

Section 10 — Paycheck Deductions (what's taken out of your pay)

These are the amounts taken out of your paycheck each month. You can find all of these on your pay stub. If you're self-employed, you may not have these — skip to the next step.
Federal income tax withheld from your paycheck.
California state income tax withheld.
Social Security and Medicare deductions.
Health insurance premiums deducted from pay.
Required retirement contributions (e.g., state pension).
Union membership dues.
Any other paycheck deductions.

Section 11 — Assets (what you own)

Assets affect more than just property division
Courts use your assets alongside income to make decisions about support, attorney fees, and property division. Large cash reserves or liquid assets demonstrate ability to pay. List fair market value (what it would sell for), not what you owe on it — report real estate at market value, not mortgage balance; vehicles at Kelley Blue Book value, not loan balance. Failing to disclose business interests is a common trigger for mandatory sanctions under Family Code 2107. This is general information, not legal advice.
Physical cash you have right now.
Total balance in all bank accounts.
Estimated value of personal property.

Your Monthly Expenses

Tell us about your monthly bills. It's okay to estimate — check your bank app if you need exact numbers.

Be honest with your expenses
Your expenses minus your income = your monthly shortfall. This number directly affects how much support the judge awards. If your expenses are $5,000/mo but your income is only $3,000/mo, that $2,000 gap tells the judge you need support. But judges review hundreds of these forms — inflated expenses destroy your credibility and can hurt your case. Be honest. If you're not sure about a number, check your bank statements for the last 3 months and divide by 3. Real numbers help you. Fake numbers hurt you. This is general information, not legal advice.
Monthly expenses
These amounts are:

Housing

Your monthly rent or total mortgage payment.
The principal portion of your mortgage payment.
The interest portion of your mortgage payment.
Monthly property tax (annual amount divided by 12).
Monthly insurance for your home or rental.
Average monthly cost for home repairs and upkeep.

Living Expenses

Out-of-pocket medical, dental, vision, prescriptions.
Daycare, babysitter, after-school programs.
Food and household supplies from the store.
Restaurants, takeout, coffee shops.
Electric, gas, water, trash, sewer.
Cell phone, home internet, streaming, cable TV.
Laundromat, dry cleaning, or laundry supplies.
Monthly average spent on clothing for yourself.
Tuition, books, school supplies (for yourself).
Movies, hobbies, subscriptions, recreation.
Gas, car payment, insurance, registration, bus/train pass, Uber.
Life insurance, disability insurance, umbrella policy.
Monthly amount put into savings or retirement.
Church, charities, regular donations.
Total monthly payments on debts. Detail these in Step 6.
This total matters
Your expenses minus your income shows the court your monthly shortfall (or surplus). This is a key number the judge uses when calculating support. A large gap between income and expenses can strengthen a request for support. This is general information, not legal advice.
If someone else helps pay your expenses, how much per month?

Your Family

People living in your household and information about your children.

Family information

Section 12 — People Living With You

List everyone living in your home (children, partner, roommates, relatives). Up to 5 people.

Person 1
Person 2
Person 3
Person 4
Person 5

Section 16 — Children (child support)

Custody and child support
Custody time-share is the second biggest factor in child support — right after income. California uses a formula called the "DissoMaster" that multiplies each parent's income by their percentage of time with the children. Even a small change in custody percentage can shift support by hundreds of dollars per month. For example, going from 20% custody to 30% custody could reduce a support obligation significantly. Be accurate — the judge will compare this to any custody order or parenting plan. This is general information, not legal advice.
Number of minor children from this relationship.
What percentage of time the children are with you.
Count how many nights per month your child sleeps at your house. Divide by 30 and multiply by 100. For example: 15 nights ÷ 30 = 50%. If you have the kids every other weekend (4 nights) plus one weeknight (4 nights), that's 8 ÷ 30 = about 27%.
What percentage of time the children are with the other parent.

Section 17 — Children's Health Care

Section 18 — Additional Children's Expenses

Daycare, nanny, after-school care for the children.
Costs to transport children for custody exchanges.
Private school tuition, tutoring, school supplies.

Debts & Attorney Fees

Your monthly debt payments and legal costs.

Debts affect support calculations
Your debts can reduce the amount of support you pay — or increase the amount you receive. The judge looks at your total debt payments as part of your overall financial picture. A $500/month car payment or $300/month in student loans reduces your available income. List everything: credit cards, car loans, student loans, medical bills, personal loans, money owed to family. If you leave debts off this form, the judge won't know about them and can't factor them into the support calculation. This is general information, not legal advice.
Debts and fees

Section 14 — Installment Payments & Debts

List ALL debts where you make monthly payments: credit cards, car loans, personal loans, medical bills, student loans, child support from another case, etc. Include the creditor name, what kind of debt, your monthly payment, remaining balance, and when the debt was incurred.
Debt 1
Debt 2
Debt 3
Debt 4
Debt 5
Debt 6

Section 15 — Attorney Fees

Include everything you've paid your attorney: retainer fees, hourly fees, filing fees, and any court costs. If you don't have an attorney, enter $0 or leave blank.
The court can order the other party to pay your attorney fees
Under Family Code 2030, the court "shall" — not "may" — order one party to pay the other's attorney fees when there's sufficient income disparity. The judge uses both FL-150s to compare who can afford legal representation. Even if you can technically afford your own lawyer, you may still be entitled to a fee award. Document every dollar you've spent — retainer, hourly fees, filing fees, copying costs. The more detailed your numbers, the stronger your case for reimbursement. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much you've paid your attorney to date.
Where the money came from (savings, earnings, family loan).
How much more you expect to spend on attorney fees.
Filing fees, service fees, and other court costs paid.

Section 19 — Special Hardships

Only list truly unusual expenses, not your normal bills. Examples: a child's ongoing medical treatment, recent disaster damage, or extraordinary circumstances that create unusual financial pressure.
Hardship deductions are capped — but they can make a real difference
Under Family Code 4071, hardship deductions can reduce your child support obligation — but they are discretionary (not automatic) and capped: the deduction for each child from another relationship cannot exceed the per-child amount in the current support order. What qualifies: extraordinary health expenses, uninsured catastrophic losses, and minimum living expenses for your children from other relationships who live with you. Document everything with actual bills and medical records, not estimates. Vague claims won't persuade the judge. This is general information, not legal advice.

Section 20 — Other Information

Free-text area for anything relevant to your financial situation.

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