Child Support in Bakersfield and Kern County, California

Kern County covers a large stretch of the southern Central Valley and extends into the desert, with Bakersfield as its largest city alongside Delano, Ridgecrest, Wasco, and Shafter. Families across this wide geography handle child support matters through the Metropolitan Division Justice Building in Bakersfield, home to the Superior Court of California, County of Kern's Family Law division, and through Kern County Child Support Services, the county's local child support agency.

California applies one statewide guideline formula for setting child support, laid out in Family Code section 4055, and Kern County follows it exactly as every other county does. The formula is based on both parents' net disposable incomes and the timeshare, the proportion of time the child spends with each parent, resulting in an amount the law presumes to be correct.

Support orders in Kern County come about in one of two ways. A parent already in a divorce, parentage, or custody case can file a Request for Order (Form FL-300) with an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150) at the Metropolitan Division Justice Building in Bakersfield, the courthouse the court identifies for its Family Law division. Or Kern County Child Support Services, the local agency that works alongside the statewide Department of Child Support Services, can open a case directly to establish and enforce support, with offices serving Bakersfield, Delano, and Ridgecrest. Because the forms are set statewide, what's specific to Kern County is which courthouse hears the case and where the local agency office is, which matters given how far apart communities like Ridgecrest and Bakersfield sit from each other.

Before filing, it's worth getting a sense of the likely number. Use our free California child support calculator. Parents who already agree can also file a written stipulation for a judge to sign rather than going through a contested hearing.

How child support is calculated in California

California sets child support with a statewide uniform guideline (Family Code section 4055) that applies the same way in Kern County as everywhere else. The formula is based mainly on two things:

1. Both parents' net disposable incomes.
2. The percentage of time the child spends with each parent (the timeshare).

The guideline amount is presumed to be correct, and courts use a calculator to run the numbers. Because the result depends on accurate income, the Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150) you file is what drives your number.

Where child support cases are handled in Kern County

Child support in Kern County is handled through the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, and the county's Local Child Support Agency, which is part of the California Department of Child Support Services. There are two common paths:

1. Either parent files a Request for Order (Form FL-300) with an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150) inside a divorce, parentage, or custody case.
2. The Local Child Support Agency opens a case to establish, collect, and enforce support, often at no cost to the parents.

Because courthouse and local agency office details change over time, confirm current details using the official California Courts court finder:

Find the Kern County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

Local notes for Kern County

Given Kern County's size, from Bakersfield out to the Ridgecrest area, family law cases including child support filings go through the Metropolitan Division Justice Building in Bakersfield, the courthouse the Superior Court of California, County of Kern identifies for its Family Law division. Represented parties are required to e-file Family Law cases there, while self-represented parents are not required to e-file but can choose to file electronically as well; confirm current procedures on the court's official Family Law page before filing. Kern County Child Support Services, the county's Local Child Support Agency, operates separately from the court and maintains offices serving Bakersfield, Delano, and Ridgecrest; current information is available through its official website.

The Metropolitan Division Justice Building also houses Kern County's Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator's Office. Both help self-represented parents with completing Form FL-150 and related forms and can explain the general process, though staff are not able to give legal advice about your specific circumstances. The Family Law Facilitator's Office specifically works with parents whose cases are already assigned to Kern County Child Support Services on support calculations and related paperwork. Since the guideline result depends almost entirely on the income figures reported, filling out that declaration completely and accurately is the most important step.

Child support in Kern County generally lasts until the child turns 18, or 19 if the child is still a full-time high school student living at home and not self-supporting, consistent with the rule statewide. Either parent can ask the court to modify the order later if income or the custody timeshare changes.

Official child support resources in Kern County

Family law filings in Kern County, including a Request for Order for child support, go through the Metropolitan Division Justice Building in Bakersfield. The Superior Court of California, County of Kern identifies this courthouse as home to its Family Law division, and the court's e-filing rules include Family Law cases: represented parties are required to e-file, and self-represented parents are not required to but may file electronically as well.

Kern County Child Support Services is the county's Local Child Support Agency and operates separately from the court. It can open a case to establish parentage, establish or enforce a support order, and process payments, with offices serving Bakersfield, Delano, and Ridgecrest. Because its role differs from the court's, a parent may end up dealing with both agencies: Kern County Child Support Services to establish or enforce an order, and the Metropolitan Division Justice Building to file paperwork such as Form FL-300 when a case runs through a divorce, parentage, or custody matter instead.

For parents handling their own paperwork, the Metropolitan Division Justice Building also houses the court's Self-Help Center and its Family Law Facilitator's Office. The Family Law Facilitator's Office assists with child support calculations and related documents for cases already assigned to Kern County Child Support Services, while the Self-Help Center more broadly helps self-represented parents prepare forms like FL-300 and FL-150. Both are explicit that staff cannot give legal advice about a parent's specific situation.

• Kern County Child Support Services
• Kern County Superior Court: Family Law
• Kern County Superior Court: Self-Help Center
• Kern County Superior Court: Family Law Facilitator's Office

Local details reviewed July 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Kern County Child Support FAQs