Child Support in 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 Superior Court of California, County of Kern, and 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). Or the county's Local Child Support Agency, operating under the statewide Department of Child Support Services, can open a case directly to establish and enforce support. 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 Guideline Child Support Calculator at /tools/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, with the county seat in Bakersfield, 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 locations and the local agency office 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, confirm which courthouse has jurisdiction over your case using the official California Courts court finder before filing. The Local Child Support Agency office operates separately from the courts; current information is available through the California Department of Child Support Services website.

Kern County's self-help center assists 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. 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.

Kern County Child Support FAQs