Skip to main content.

Finish the Court Order

If you or the other party in your case filed form FL-300 Request for Order and the judge made orders at the hearing, you now need to prepare the order, also called the Findings and Order After Hearing.

Although the judge’s orders are effective immediately, it is helpful for both parties to have a written record of the specific orders that were made during the hearing. This ensures that everyone knows their responsibilities and obligations, rather than having to rely only on a verbal agreement or one party’s memory of the court orders. Having the order signed by the judge also ensures that the orders can be enforced if necessary.

The judge will usually tell the person who filed the FL-300 Request for Order to prepare the Findings and Order After Hearing. However, if the other party was ordered to prepare the order and has not yet done so, you can prepare it yourself.

We recommend that you watch the informational video below for an overview of the process.

Forms Needed to Prepare a Findings and Order After Hearing

You will need the following form to prepare the order:

Depending on the orders that the judge made, you will also need one or more of the forms listed below.

If the other party was present at the hearing, you will also need:

  • Cover letter regarding Findings and Order After Hearing (more details below)

If there are child custody/visitation orders, you will also need:

If there are child support orders, you will also need:

If there are spousal support orders, you will also need:

If there are property orders, you will also need:

If there are attorney’s fees and costs orders, you will also need:

If there are termination of status (bifurcation) orders, you will also need:

If there are other orders, you will also need:

Proof of Service forms:

You may also obtain the forms listed above at the following places:

  • Internet: For free, you can visit California Courts forms.  Type “family law” in the search box, then select the form number you need.
  • Court Clerk’s Office: For $5, you may go to any of the County Courthouses to purchase a packet of blank forms.

Instructions

Overview of the Process

Obtain a Copy of the Case Summary:

The courtroom clerk takes notes during each court hearing, and these notes are referred to as the case summary. You will use the case summary as a guide to help you complete the forms for the Findings and Order After Hearing. The case summary is usually available 10 days after the hearing. You can request a copy from the Clerk’s Office for a small fee.

You can also access a copy of the case summary online through the court’s website. You can click on Register to create an account and access your case information. If you have previously filed documents electronically with the Court, you can log in with the same username and password that you used to file electronically.

When you pull up your case information, click on the printer icon at the top of the page to access the case summary. The case summary page will provide more detailed information about what the judge ordered. You can click on the printer icon again to print a copy of the case summary.

Review the Case Summary:

Review your case summary to ensure that it reflects exactly what the judge ordered. If you need clarification or something is missing, then you may need to buy a transcript. Please note that this option is only available if you had a court reporter present for your hearing. The cost of the transcript is not waived even if you have a court fee waiver.

In the unlikely event that something is missing or incorrect in the case summary, it is up to you to prepare the Findings and Order After Hearing with the judge’s orders as you remember them from the day of the hearing. Keep in mind that if your Findings and Order After Hearing does not match the case summary, the judge may not sign it until it is corrected.

Prepare the Findings and Order After Hearing Forms:

The Findings and Order After Hearing that you prepare should include all the orders the judge made on the day of your hearing. The case summary may serve as a guide to completing the forms. If your Findings and Order After Hearing contains orders that the judge did not make or are not listed on your case summary, then the judge may not sign your order until it is corrected. If child support or spousal support was ordered, you can fill out an additional form to tell the other party’s employer to take the money directly from their paycheck. Refer to the section above to determine which form you need.

In addition, if the other party (or their attorney, if they have one) attended the Request for Order hearing, you will also need to prepare a cover letter requesting their signature at the bottom of form FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing to approve that it accurately reflects the orders that the judge made. You may complete and sign this cover letter template to include with your Findings and Order After Hearing documents.

Give a Copy of the Original Forms to the Other Party:

The Findings and Order After Hearing documents can always be delivered in person. The documents can be delivered by mail only in certain cases. Usually, the Court will allow the documents to be delivered by mail if the other party filed the FL-300 Request for Order or the FL-320 Responsive Declaration, or if the other party filed a Petition or Response and the case is not yet finalized. If you are unsure of which delivery method is correct for your case, remember that delivery in person will always be accepted by the Court.

To deliver the documents in person, you must ask someone who is 18 years of age or older to personally deliver a copy of the cover letter along with the FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing and attachments to the other party’s attorney or to the other party if they are not represented by an attorney. The person who personally delivers the documents must complete, sign, and date the FL-330 Proof of Personal Service form.

If mail delivery is a valid option in your case, you must ask someone who is 18 years of age or older to mail a copy of the cover letter along with the FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing and attachments to the other party’s attorney or to the other party if they are not represented by an attorney. The person who mails the documents must complete, sign, and date the FL-335 Proof of Service by Mail form.

File Forms with the Court:

If the other party did not attend the Request for Order hearing, you may immediately file the completed original Proof of Service form and FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing with attachments.

If the other party did attend the hearing, you will need to wait 10 days from the date that the cover letter and FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing with attachments was mailed to the other party. After the 10 days have passed, you may file the completed original Proof of Service form and the FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing with attachments that was returned to you signed by the other party. If the other party did not return to you a signed copy, then you may file the unsigned FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing with attachments along with the completed original Proof of Service form.

If you file electronically, the Court will email you a copy of the filed forms.

If you use the drop box, mail or in person option, you must file the originals with 2 copies and a self-addressed stamped envelope. If you prefer that the Court email you a copy of the filed forms, then you must file only the original forms along with a completed Electronic Consent Form so the Court may email you a filed copy of your forms.

Receive Filed Forms:

When you file your forms, the court clerk will give the FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing with attachments to the judge for signing. The judge will compare your order to the case summary. If they match, the judge will sign your order and the court clerk will return a signed copy to you.

Give a Copy if the Filed Order to the Other Party:

You must select a person who is 18 years of age or older to give a copy of the filed FL-340 Findings and Order After Hearing with attachments to the other party. If the other party is represented by an attorney, then all forms must be given to the attorney. This is an important step that ensures that the court orders can be enforced.

You can use the same method as before to have the other party (or their attorney, if they have one) served with a signed copy of the Findings and Order After Hearing. The person who delivers the copy to the other party must complete, date and sign form FL-330 Proof of Personal Service or form FL-335 Proof of Service by Mail. Once the Proof of Service form is complete, you must file the original with the Court.

Was this helpful?

Yes No
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Was this helpful?