Form FL-820 sounds like the form nearly everyone finalizing a California summary dissolution needs, but it is not. It was replaced for cases filed on or after January 1, 2011, and today it applies only to a narrow set of long pending, older cases. Here is who actually needs it and how it works.
Key Takeaway: Form FL-820 finishes a summary dissolution, but only if the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution, Form FL-800, was filed before January 1, 2011. If your FL-800 was filed on or after that date, which covers essentially every current case, you need Form FL-825 instead.
Form FL-820, Request for Judgment, Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, and Notice of Entry of Judgment, is a California Judicial Council form used in the summary dissolution process under Family Code section 2403. It does two things in one document: it lets a spouse formally request that the court enter a judgment of dissolution, and it serves as the judgment and notice of entry once a judge signs it.
The form was revised effective January 1, 2012, at which point it was limited to older cases only. For any Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution filed on or after January 1, 2011, the court uses a different, newer form instead.
The form states plainly that it should be used "ONLY if the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution (form FL-800) was filed before January 1, 2011." Because that cutoff is now more than 15 years in the past, FL-820 is relevant to a genuinely small group of people: those whose original joint petition was filed before 2011 and whose case, for whatever reason, was never finalized, was previously revoked and needs revisiting, or is otherwise still open.
If your Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution was filed more recently, and especially if you are starting a new summary dissolution case now, this is not the form you need. See our guide on Form FL-825 instead, which covers the version of this form used for essentially all current cases, and our guide on Form FL-800 if you are starting a summary dissolution case from scratch. If you do not qualify for summary dissolution at all but still agree with your spouse on everything, the joint petition process under Form FL-700 is worth comparing as well.
<h2 id="fl-820-vs-fl-825">FL-820 vs. FL-825</h2>Beyond the filing date cutoff, the two forms differ in a few practical ways:
| FL-820 | FL-825 | |
|---|---|---|
| Use if FL-800 was filed | Before January 1, 2011 | On or after January 1, 2011 |
| Covers | Marriage only | Marriage and domestic partnership |
| Party labels | Husband and Wife | Petitioner 1 and Petitioner 2 |
| When it is typically completed | As a separate request, generally filed six months after FL-800 | Prepared and filed together with FL-800 at the start of the case |
Because domestic partnership dissolution is not addressed on FL-820 at all, anyone using the summary dissolution procedure to end a domestic partnership needs FL-825 regardless of filing date.
<h2 id="when-you-can-file">When You Can File FL-820</h2>FL-820 requires the court to confirm two things before a judgment can be entered: that the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution was filed on a specific date, and that no notice of revocation has been filed and the parties have not reconciled. Either husband or wife can file this request with the court six months after the joint petition was filed, consistent with California's mandatory six month waiting period for dissolution cases. If a filing fee applies to your request and you cannot afford it, you may be able to request a waiver using Form FW-001.
<h2 id="section-by-section">Section-by-Section Walkthrough of FL-820</h2>Here is what the form actually asks for.
Caption and Case Information
At the top, you fill in the superior court and county, the case number, and the names of husband and wife. This should match your original Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution exactly.
1. Filing Date of FL-800
You state the date the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution was filed. This is also where the form repeats the instruction to use FL-820 only if that date was before January 1, 2011.
2. Confirmation of No Revocation or Reconciliation
You confirm that no notice of revocation has been filed and that you and your spouse have not become reconciled since filing.
3. Request for Entry of Judgment
You request that the judgment of dissolution be entered either to be effective now, or entered nunc pro tunc, meaning retroactively effective as of a specific earlier date, for a stated reason. You then sign this section under penalty of perjury.
4. Restoring a Former Name
If either spouse did not request that their former name be restored when they originally signed the joint petition, this section lets them request it now. You specify the former name and sign this section separately.
5. The Court's Judgment (Completed by the Judge)
This section is completed by the judicial officer. It orders that a judgment of dissolution of marriage be entered and that the parties are restored to the status of unmarried persons, includes checkboxes for a nunc pro tunc entry date and for restoring either spouse's former name, and confirms that husband and wife must comply with any agreement attached to the petition.
6. Notice of Entry of Judgment and Clerk's Certificate of Mailing
On page 2, the clerk fills in the date the judgment of dissolution of marriage was entered and certifies that a copy was mailed first class to both husband and wife at the addresses listed on the form.
<h2 id="nunc-pro-tunc">Understanding the Nunc Pro Tunc Request</h2>Item 3 on FL-820 is one of the more confusing parts of the form for people filling it out on their own, mainly because of the Latin term nunc pro tunc, which simply means "now for then." In plain terms, it lets you ask the court to treat the judgment as if it had been entered on an earlier date than the date the judge actually signs it.
This matters because a long delay between when a case became eligible for judgment and when the paperwork actually reaches a judge is common in older, long pending cases exactly like the ones that still rely on FL-820. If you request a nunc pro tunc date, you have to state a specific reason for it on the form. Common reasons include administrative delay at the courthouse or a gap in following up on a case that was otherwise ready to be finalized long before FL-820 was actually filed.
If you simply want the judgment entered as of the date the judge signs it, with no retroactive date, you check the first box in item 3 instead and leave the nunc pro tunc request blank. Most straightforward cases use this option rather than requesting a backdated entry.
<h2 id="what-happens-after">What Happens After the Judge Signs It</h2>Once the judicial officer signs FL-820, a judgment of dissolution of marriage is entered and both spouses are restored to the status of unmarried persons. The form also carries a required notice: dissolution can automatically cancel a spouse's rights under the other spouse's will, trust, retirement benefit plan, power of attorney, pay-on-death bank account, transfer-on-death vehicle registration, and joint tenancy survivorship rights. It does not automatically cancel rights as a beneficiary of the other spouse's life insurance policy. The notice recommends reviewing these documents, along with credit cards, other credit accounts, and credit reports, once the dissolution is final.
The clerk then mails a copy of the entered judgment and notice to both spouses, which is documented on the Clerk's Certificate of Mailing on page 2.
<h2 id="common-mistakes">Common Mistakes to Avoid</h2>- Using FL-820 for a case where the original Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution was actually filed on or after January 1, 2011, when FL-825 is the correct form
- Trying to use FL-820 for a domestic partnership dissolution, since the form only covers marriage
- Filing before the six month waiting period from the original FL-800 filing date has actually passed
- Forgetting to confirm that no notice of revocation was filed and that the spouses have not reconciled
- Leaving item 4 blank when a former name restoration was intended, since the judge has nothing to order without it
What is Form FL-820 used for?
Form FL-820, Request for Judgment, Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, and Notice of Entry of Judgment, is the form used to tell the court you filed a Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution, Form FL-800, before January 1, 2011, and that you now want to finish the case. It asks the court to enter a judgment of dissolution of marriage.
Do I use FL-820 or FL-825?
Use FL-820 only if your Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution, Form FL-800, was filed before January 1, 2011. If it was filed on or after that date, use Form FL-825, Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment, instead. Because it is now 2026, this means FL-820 applies only to a small number of long pending legacy cases.
When can FL-820 be filed?
Either spouse can file FL-820 with the court six months after the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution was filed, since California's mandatory waiting period applies to summary dissolution the same way it applies to a regular dissolution. The form also requires confirming that no notice of revocation has been filed and that the spouses have not reconciled.
Can just one spouse file FL-820?
Yes. Either husband or wife can file the request, sign the declaration under penalty of perjury, and submit it to the court clerk. You do not need your spouse's participation to file FL-820 once the waiting period has passed and the case is otherwise ready.
Does FL-820 restore a former name?
It can. Item 4 on the form lets a spouse who did not request to have their former name restored when they signed the original joint petition request it now. You need to specify your former name and sign that section for the judge to include it in the judgment.
What if my Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution was filed after January 1, 2011, but I am still not divorced?
Then FL-820 is not the right form. You would use Form FL-825, Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment, instead. See our guide on Form FL-825 for how that version works and why it is prepared differently than FL-820.
How Virdix Helps With Older Summary Dissolution Cases
Sorting out which version of a form applies to a long pending case, and whether FL-820 or FL-825 fits your situation, is exactly the kind of detail that is easy to get wrong. Virdix is built to help:
- Correct form identification, so you are not filing an outdated or mismatched version for your case
- Guided completion, so the request, confirmations, and name restoration sections are filled in correctly
- Consistency checks, so case details match your original Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution
- Fallback guidance, so you understand your options if your case needs to move to a regular dissolution instead
We do not replace an attorney for complex or long pending cases, but for straightforward filings, Virdix helps make sure your paperwork is complete and consistent from the start. You can also browse our county-by-county divorce guides for local court details.
Start Your California Filing →
Last updated: July 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed California family law attorney.
Sources: Form FL-820, Request for Judgment, Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, and Notice of Entry of Judgment, Form FL-810, Summary Dissolution Information, California Courts Self-Help Center (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov), Judicial Council of California