In California family court, RFO stands for Request for Order. It is a filing, made on Judicial Council Form FL-300, that asks a judge to issue a temporary ruling on a specific issue while a family law case is still pending.1California Courts. Request for Order FL-300 The person filing identifies what they want the court to decide, supports it with a written declaration of facts, and the court sets a hearing where both sides can be heard. The order the judge issues at that hearing takes effect right away, even though the overall case may not be resolved for months.
The term is specific to California. Other states use the same basic mechanism but call it a motion or a petition for temporary orders.
What an RFO Can Ask the Court to Do
Most RFOs deal with issues that genuinely cannot wait for a final judgment. Four kinds come up most often.
Custody and Visitation
This is the most common use. A parent files an RFO to set up a schedule where none exists, to change an existing one, or to respond to a situation that has become unsafe. The judge decides using the “best interests of the child” standard, which looks at the child’s health and safety, each parent’s relationship with the child, and any history of abuse or substance use.2California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 3011 – Determination of Best Interests of the Child
Child Support and Spousal Support
An RFO can ask for temporary child support, which California calculates using a statewide formula based on each parent’s net income and the percentage of time each has the children.3California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 4055 – Statewide Uniform Guideline Spousal support is analyzed differently. The court weighs the length of the marriage, each spouse’s earning ability, the marital standard of living, any history of domestic violence, and the goal of the supported spouse eventually becoming self-sufficient.4California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 4320 – Spousal Support Factors
Property Protection
An RFO can ask the judge to stop a spouse from selling, hiding, or draining marital assets. California cases already carry automatic restraining orders printed on the summons that prohibit transferring property, canceling insurance, or removing children from the state. When those general restrictions aren’t enough, an RFO can request a targeted order, like freezing a specific account or blocking the sale of a particular property.
Modifying Existing Orders
RFOs aren’t limited to the start of a case. Either party can use one later to ask the court to change custody, visitation, or support if circumstances have meaningfully shifted. Job loss, relocation, a child’s changing needs, or a significant income change are common grounds. What you cannot do is relitigate facts the court already considered.
Emergency (Ex Parte) Requests
A standard RFO takes weeks because the other side needs time to respond. When a child is in immediate danger or irreparable harm is about to occur, the same FL-300 form can be used to ask for emergency orders on a shortened timeline. California calls this an ex parte request.
The threshold is high. You need a written declaration pointing to specific facts: police reports, medical records, threatening messages, or similar concrete evidence. General frustration with the other parent won’t carry it.5Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.151 – Request for Temporary Emergency (Ex Parte) Orders
Even in an emergency, you generally have to notify the other party that you’re asking for urgent relief, or explain in writing what you did to try. If the judge grants emergency orders, they hold only until the full hearing, where the court hears both sides and decides whether to continue, change, or dissolve them.5Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.151 – Request for Temporary Emergency (Ex Parte) Orders
How the Process Works
Filing starts with the FL-300 itself, which identifies the specific relief you want, plus a supporting declaration laying out the facts. Judges rely heavily on that declaration, so it needs to be specific and based on personal knowledge rather than speculation. If money is involved, a current Income and Expense Declaration goes with it.1California Courts. Request for Order FL-300
You file in the court where the original family law case was opened. Many California counties now accept or require e-filing for family matters; the local clerk’s office or court website confirms what’s available where you are.
Filing is only half the work. The other side must be formally served with copies of everything, along with a blank Response to Request for Order (Form FL-320). Service has to be done by someone at least 18 who is not a party to the case, and it has to happen well before the hearing. California requires service at least 16 court days ahead, with extra days added for mail or out-of-state delivery.6Justia Law. California Code of Civil Procedure 1003-1008 – Motions and Orders A Proof of Personal Service (Form FL-330) then gets filed with the court; without it, the hearing cannot proceed.7Judicial Council of California. FL-330 Proof of Personal Service
If you are the one served with an RFO, you have the right to respond in writing on Form FL-320, with your own declaration and, where money is at issue, your own Income and Expense Declaration. Doing nothing is the worst option. The court can grant the other side’s request by default if you don’t show up or file a response.
When the RFO involves contested custody or visitation, California law requires the parents to go to mediation with Family Court Services before the hearing.8California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 3170 – Mediation of Contested Custody Issues A full agreement in mediation can be adopted as an order without a contested hearing. Anything unresolved goes to the judge.
At the hearing, the party who filed presents first, the other side responds, and the judge typically rules at the end or shortly after. In straightforward cases, you leave the courtroom with a signed order that day.
What the Judge Can Order
The court’s authority at an RFO hearing is broad. Temporary custody and visitation schedules are the most common output, setting out which parent has the children on which days and how exchanges happen. Child support and spousal support can start immediately, calculated using the formulas and factors above.3California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 4055 – Statewide Uniform Guideline Property orders can freeze accounts, block asset sales, or require a spouse to keep insurance coverage in place.
One result that surprises people is an order making one spouse pay toward the other’s attorney fees. California law requires the court to ensure both parties can afford legal representation, so if there’s a significant income or asset gap, the higher-earning spouse can be ordered to contribute, even early in the case.9California Legislative Information. California Code FAM 2030 – Attorney Fees and Costs10Judicial Branch of California. Rule 5.427 – Attorney Fees and Costs
Orders from an RFO are temporary in name only in the sense that they stay in effect until the court replaces them with a final judgment, issues a new order modifying them, or dismisses the case. In practice, that can mean a year or more.
What Happens If Someone Violates the Order
An order issued after an RFO hearing is a court order, not a suggestion. A party who willfully ignores it can be held in contempt. In California, contempt carries a fine of up to $1,000 per violation and possible jail time, and the violating party can be ordered to pay the other side’s attorney fees for the contempt action.11Judicial Branch of California. Contempt Procedures Handout
Other enforcement tools exist too. Unpaid child support can trigger wage garnishment or driver’s license suspension. Custody violations can lead the court to restructure the arrangement in ways the violating parent will not welcome. A party who repeatedly ignores orders also builds a record judges remember when making later decisions in the same case. If something has genuinely changed and you can’t comply, the right move is to file another RFO asking for a modification rather than ignoring what’s already in place.