Forms

California Form FL-100: Divorce and Separation Petition

Reviewed September 22, 2026AttorneyIndex Editorial Team

Official title
Petition—Marriage/Domestic Partnership (Family Law)
Issued by
Judicial Council of California
Revision
Rev. January 1, 2020
Use
Mandatory
Official PDF
FL-100 on www.courts.ca.gov

The petition is open on the table, but several boxes are still blank: property is listed on one page, custody on another, and the requested result is not yet clear. FL-100 is the document that opens a regular California family-law case when one spouse or domestic partner files. It covers dissolution, legal separation, and nullity; it is not the judgment that finishes the case.

Since January 1, 2026, spouses who agree may open a case together with FL-700 and FL-710. A joint petition is deemed served when filed. FL-100 remains the one-party petition. Summary dissolution also uses a different set of forms and is available only through its separate procedure.

This page explains the statewide form and court procedure. It is general information, not legal advice about which case type, requests, or property descriptions fit a particular situation.

What does FL-100 ask for?

The first page identifies the court, petitioner, respondent, and case type. Item 1 asks whether the legal relationship is a marriage or domestic partnership and where a partnership was established. Item 2 covers residence, including special checkboxes for a California-registered partnership and certain same-sex marriages entered in California. Item 3 records dates of marriage or partnership registration, separation, and the elapsed time. Item 4 identifies minor children, including a child not yet born, and asks about a voluntary declaration of parentage or paternity.

For dissolution, item 2 asks whether either party lived in California for six months and in the filing county for three months immediately before filing. Family Code section 2320 prevents entry of a dissolution judgment unless that residence condition is met. Legal separation and nullity do not have a residency period.

Which orders appear on the petition?

Items 5 through 10 move from case facts to what the petitioner asks the court to decide. Item 5 lists irreconcilable differences or permanent legal incapacity to make decisions for dissolution or legal separation. Its nullity checkboxes list incest, bigamy, age at marriage or registration, a prior existing marriage or partnership, unsound mind, fraud, force, and physical incapacity.

Item 6 covers legal custody, physical custody, and visitation. It names FL-311, FL-312, FL-341(C), FL-341(D), and FL-341(E) as ways to state more detailed parenting requests. Item 7 addresses child support; item 8, spousal or domestic-partner support; item 9, separate property; and item 10, community and quasi-community property. The form then provides item 11 for attorney fees, restoration of a former name, and other requests. Item 12 confirms that the petitioner read the restraining orders on the back of the summons.

The current form is three pages and carries the footer “FL-100 [Rev. January 1, 2020].” California Courts also posts Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Arabic translations for reference; the English form is filed.

What is filed and served with FL-100?

The regular opening packet includes FL-110, the Summons. If there are minor children, it also includes FL-105, the declaration under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. The filed papers are served on the other spouse with a blank FL-120, the Response, and FL-115 documents service. The respondent has 30 days from service to file FL-120.

Service also controls timing. The minimum period for a dissolution judgment runs from service of the summons and petition or the respondent's appearance, whichever occurs first—not from filing. The California divorce process guide explains that timeline in context.

What does filing cost, and where does the form go?

The 2026 statewide civil fee schedule lists $435 for the first paper in a dissolution, legal- separation, or nullity case. Some counties add local surcharges, so the filing court's schedule supplies the local total. FW-001 is the request to waive court fees. On the same 2026 schedule, the joint petition's statewide line is $870 for both appearances.

FL-100 is filed in the superior court for the county. The statewide court directory leads to county courts and their current filing information. For the petition still open on the table, a limited-scope review of the completed form is a bounded task: checking the requests and attachments before filing. AttorneyIndex is a directory; browse family law attorneys in Los Angeles without the directory selecting or recommending one.

Common questions

What is California form FL-100?
FL-100 is the mandatory Judicial Council petition used when one spouse or domestic partner starts a case for dissolution, legal separation, or nullity in California superior court.
What forms are filed with FL-100?
A regular case also starts with FL-110, the Summons. When the parties have minor children, FL-105, the UCCJEA declaration, is also filed.
How much does it cost to file FL-100?
The 2026 statewide schedule lists $435 for the first paper in a dissolution, legal-separation, or nullity case. Some counties add a local surcharge. Form FW-001 requests a fee waiver.
How long does the respondent have to answer?
The respondent has 30 days after service to file FL-120, the Response. The papers served include a blank FL-120, and FL-115 records proof of service.
Is FL-100 available in other languages?
California Courts provides Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Arabic translations for reference. The English FL-100 is the form filed with the court.

Sources

Checked on September 22, 2026. Where this page and a court’s own published material disagree, the court is authoritative.

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