Child Support in San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino County is the largest county by land area in the continental United States, running from the dense Inland Empire cities in the south up to the High Desert communities near Victorville. Families in San Bernardino, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Victorville, and elsewhere in the county bring their child support matters to the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, or to the county's Local Child Support Agency.

Support in San Bernardino County, as everywhere in California, is set using the state's uniform guideline formula under Family Code section 4055. That formula combines both parents' net disposable incomes with the timeshare, the share of time the child spends with each parent, into a presumptively correct number. The size of the county doesn't change the math; the formula is identical whether the case is filed near Ontario or up in the High Desert.

There are two routes to a support order. 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). Alternatively, the county's Local Child Support Agency, operating under the statewide Department of Child Support Services, can open its own case to establish and enforce support. The forms are the same statewide; what's local to San Bernardino County is which courthouse and which agency office you deal with.

Before choosing a courthouse or filing anything, it's worth estimating your number. Use our free California Guideline Child Support Calculator at /tools/california-child-support-calculator. Parents who already agree on an amount can also submit a written stipulation for a judge's signature instead of litigating the issue.

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 San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County

Child support in San Bernardino County is handled through the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, with the county seat in San Bernardino, 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 San Bernardino County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

Local notes for San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County's size means it operates several courthouse locations rather than one, so confirm which branch has jurisdiction over your case using the official California Courts court finder before filing. The county's Local Child Support Agency office is separate from the courts; look it up through the California Department of Child Support Services website.

Self-help center staff in San Bernardino County can help parents representing themselves fill out Form FL-150 and understand the filing process, but they cannot advise you on the legal strategy for your case. Since the guideline number comes directly from the income figures on that form, accuracy there is what actually determines the outcome.

Child support in San Bernardino 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. Either parent can return to court to request a modification if income changes, a job is lost, or the custody timeshare shifts.

San Bernardino County Child Support FAQs