Summons (Family Law)
Form FL-110 is issued by the clerk when your case is filed and must be formally served on the other party along with the petition. Our guide explains what the summons means, the 30-day response window it starts, and the standard restraining orders that take effect on both parties when it is filed.
Before you start
Gather this first
- ✓The filed petition packet
- ✓The other party's address for service
- ✓A plan for formal service (personal service is most common)
The guide
What it walks through, in order
- 1
What the summons is
An official court notice telling the other party a case has been filed and how long they have to respond — generally 30 days from the date of service.
- 2
Standard restraining orders
The summons places automatic restraining orders on both parties once filed — no changing insurance beneficiaries, no taking children out of state, and no transferring or hiding property — with limited exceptions.
- 3
Service and proof of service
How service is completed and proved with Form FL-115, and what happens next depending on whether the other party files a response.
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.
Request this guide
Errless publishes plain-language completion guides for the forms in your packet so you can complete them yourself. Contact us and we'll confirm whether we cover the form you've identified.