Child Support in Santa Ana and Orange County, California

Orange County is the third most populous county in California, and it concentrates its family law work in one place: the Lamoreaux Justice Center in the city of Orange, the courthouse the Orange County Superior Court designates for family law, juvenile, and domestic violence matters. If you live in Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, or another Orange County city, a child support case is handled through the Superior Court of California, County of Orange at the Lamoreaux Justice Center, or through Orange County Child Support Services, the county's local child support agency based in Santa Ana.

California sets child support with a statewide uniform guideline formula (Family Code section 4055). The amount is based mainly on both parents' net disposable incomes and the percentage of time the child spends with each parent, called the timeshare. The guideline result is presumed to be correct, and Orange County applies the same formula as every other county in the state.

There are two common ways support gets ordered. Either parent can file a Request for Order (Form FL-300) with an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150) inside a divorce, parentage, or custody case, or Orange County Child Support Services can open a case at no charge to establish, collect, and enforce support. The court's own child support self-help page explains the catch: to get an order for child support, you must have an open case with the court, so if no family law case exists yet, one still has to be filed. The forms are statewide; what Orange County adds is a single family law courthouse and a county agency that can carry the case for you.

Because the number depends almost entirely on accurate income and timeshare, it helps to estimate before you file. You can use our free California child support calculator, and if you and the other parent agree on an amount, you can submit a written stipulation for a judge to sign.

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 Orange 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 Orange County

Child support in Orange County is handled through the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, 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 Orange County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

Local notes for Orange County

Unlike its larger neighbors, Orange County routes family law matters to a single hub. The Lamoreaux Justice Center in the city of Orange houses the county's family law courtrooms along with a Court Child Support Unit and the Family Law Facilitator, so support filings, hearings, and self-help assistance all happen under one roof. Orange County Child Support Services, the county's local child support agency, operates from Santa Ana and works with the statewide Department of Child Support Services system.

One local procedural note: under the court's rules, documents filed by attorneys in family law cases must be filed electronically unless the court excuses the party from doing so. Self-represented parents are exempt, though the court strongly encourages them to e-file too. The court's family law self-help pages, including a dedicated child support section, help parents who represent themselves complete Form FL-150 and related paperwork, but staff cannot give legal advice about your specific case. Because the guideline result is driven by the income figures you report, filling out the Income and Expense Declaration accurately and completely is the single most important step.

Child support in California generally continues 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. Either parent can ask the court to modify support when there is a meaningful change, such as a shift in income or in the parenting timeshare.

Official child support resources in Orange County

The Lamoreaux Justice Center in the city of Orange is the Orange County Superior Court's courthouse for family law, juvenile, and domestic violence matters, which makes it the filing location for child support requests. It houses a Court Child Support Unit and the Family Law Facilitator, so hearings and self-help assistance happen in the same building.

Orange County Child Support Services, the county's local child support agency, operates from Santa Ana. The court's child support self-help page states the agency can open a child support case for you at no charge, and notes that to get an order for child support you must have an open case with the court.

Under the court's rules, attorneys must file family law documents electronically unless the court excuses them; self-represented litigants are exempt but strongly encouraged to e-file.

• Orange County Child Support Services
• Orange County Superior Court: Lamoreaux Justice Center
• Orange County Superior Court self-help: child support

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

Orange County Child Support FAQs