Office of the Family Law Facilitator
Family Law Facilitators
Every court in California has a lawyer that will help you with family law problems for free. These lawyers are called "family law facilitators." The facilitators can't be your lawyer, but they can help in other ways, such as showing you how to fill out court forms and telling you about other places to get help, like lawyer referral services, legal aid clinics, and self-help law centers.
INFORMACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
Lamoreaux Justice Center
341 The City Drive
1st Floor, Room 101
Orange, CA 92868
Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Friday Limited Services: 2:00pm – 4:00 pm
What is a family law facilitator?
The Family Law Facilitator is an experienced Family Law attorney who works for the Superior Court.
The Family Law Facilitator is not your attorney. There is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Family Law Facilitator. The facilitator is neutral and can help you and the other party (for example, your former spouse, the parent of your child, etc.). If you want help with your case strategy, you should consult with a private attorney for legal advice.
The Office of the Family Law Facilitator provides education, information and explains options without giving legal advice. The Office of the Family Law Facilitator can assist self-represented litigants in handling their own child and spousal support cases.
When you speak with the Family Law Facilitator (or any staff member in the Facilitator’s office) your conversation is not private or confidential.
The Family Law Facilitator is not responsible for the outcome of your case.
What does the family law facilitator do?
The Office of the Family Law Facilitator is restricted to issues relating to child support.
We can help you to:
- Prepare your paperwork to establish, modify or terminate child support
- Prepare your Answer to a DCSS complaint
- Prepare your Response to a DCSS Notice of Motion for Judgment
- Prepare your Motion and/or Request for Order or Response to establish, modify, or terminate a child support order, determine arrears, release your license
- Prepare your Request for Order regarding Medical and Dental Reimbursement (Accounting)
- Prepare your Income and Expense Declaration or Use a Simple Guided Interview to complete the Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150)
- Prepare your Request for Order to establish new custody and visitation orders
- Get information on outside resources for services we do not provide
- Get contact information for low cost attorneys, legal aid and low cost legal clinics
You may also visit the Self-Help website resources page and select Educational Videos for additional information.
How are services provided?
You may come in-person or you may submit a request for services online. You may also call the message line at 657-622-5077.
When you visit the Office of the Family Law Facilitator at the Lamoreaux Justice Center, we will review your information and we may be able to assist you on your first visit. If you do not have all of the necessary documents, you may need to return for assistance.
For online assistance, you can submit a request through our Self-Help website at https://www.occourts.org/self-help/. Pick the blue button “Click Here to Contact Self-Help Services.” You will be prompted through a series of questions to request remote online services.
What should I bring?
- Your Superior Court case number
- A copy of any orders or judgment in your case
- Your last four (4) paycheck stubs as well as any information regarding any other income earned by either yourself or the other party
- If you are self-employed, please bring a copy of your Schedule C and your Profit and Loss Statement
- Disability or unemployment information
- An estimate of your monthly living expenses including housing, utilities, insurance, food, transportation, education, clothing, daycare expenses, and any extraordinary expenses related to health care and catastrophic losses
- Names and birthdates of your children and an estimate of your custodial/visitation time with each child.