Petition — Dissolution of Marriage / Domestic Partnership
Form FL-100 opens your case. It tells the court who the parties are, when you married or registered, when you separated, and what you are asking for — custody, support, and property. It follows the court's exact format, and your guided wizard explains every field in plain language.
Before you start
Gather this first
- ✓Your full legal name and the other party's full legal name
- ✓Date and place of marriage or domestic partnership registration
- ✓The date you separated
- ✓California residency history (six months in the state, three months in the county, for dissolution)
- ✓Each child's name, date of birth, and who they have lived with
The guide
What it walks through, in order
- 1–2
Party names and case information
Petitioner and Respondent names must match the spelling used on your marriage certificate or registration. The court box is copied from the court that will hear your case.
- 3
Statistical facts
Dates of marriage or registration and of separation, taken from your certificate. If the parties disagree on the separation date, each filing may assert a different date.
- 4–5
Residency and children
California's residency requirement for dissolution, plus declarations about children born before or during the relationship — including a pregnancy that is pending.
- 6–9
Custody, visitation, and support requests
What you are asking the court to order: legal and physical custody, visitation, child support, and spousal or domestic partner support. Attached guides explain each checkbox in plain language.
- 10–11
Property and attorney fees
How you ask the court to divide community property and confirm separate property, and whether either party should pay attorney fees.
- 12
Signature and declaration
The petition is signed under penalty of perjury. Review every page of the packet before you sign so it is complete and consistent.
These guides are for informational and educational purposes only. Errless Self-Help Document Services is a self-help document service. We are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice. Every person's situation is different — if you have questions about which boxes to check or what the law means for your case, please speak with a licensed California family law attorney.
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