California
How do I get my court fees waived for a custody case in California?
Quick answer
File a Request to Waive Court Fees (form FW-001) with your papers. You qualify if you receive certain public benefits, if your monthly income is 200 percent or less of the federal poverty guidelines (the form prints the dollar limits), or if you cannot pay court fees and still cover your household’s basic needs.
Researched by Dan Martin, Legal Researcher · Published by Onbello Legal · Last updated October 2026
What the law says
Government Code section 68632 sets three grounds. (a) You receive a listed benefit, such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh or SNAP, SSI or SSP, CalWORKs or Tribal TANF, WIC, IHSS, CAPI, General Assistance, or unemployment. (b) Your monthly income is 200 percent or less of the federal poverty guidelines (the section as amended effective January 1, 2026). (c) You cannot pay court fees without using money that normally pays for the common necessaries of life for you and your family.
FW-001 item 5b prints the limits for gross monthly household income, worded as less than the amount listed: for example, $2,660.00 for a household of one and $5,500.00 for a household of four. Section 68632(b)(3) says veterans’ service-connected disability compensation does not count as income for this test. The self-help guide says the form is confidential, only the court sees it, and a waiver can cover filing fees, fees to respond, copies, and sheriff’s fees to serve papers.
FW-001-INFO says you must tell the court within five days if your finances improve during the case (form FW-010), and that if you receive a judgment or support order in a family law matter, the court may order you to pay all or part of the waived fees if it finds your circumstances have changed so that you can afford to pay.
What to do next
File FW-001 and the Order on Court Fee Waiver (FW-003) with your FL-300, as FL-300-INFO item 8 describes. If you are responding, FL-320-INFO item 8 says there is generally no fee to file the FL-320, but if you have never filed papers in the case you may owe a first appearance fee, and you can ask the court to waive it with the same two forms. If you check 5a you skip page 2; 5b means items 7 to 9; 5c means all of page 2.
Last checked against the sources above on October 6, 2026.
Need help with your filing?
Our guided tool fills out your court forms so the paperwork you file with your fee waiver is complete.
Join the waitlist ($129 at launch)Where to check this
Forms, deadlines, and local rules change. Verify anything on this page against the official self-help resources for your state before you rely on it.
This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws and local rules vary and change. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed family-law attorney in your state.
Get the California custody checklist
Two pages: what to gather, which forms, deadlines, what to bring to the hearing. Free, no account.