Request for Order Hearings in Salinas and Monterey County, California

To schedule a Request for Order hearing in Monterey County, file Judicial Council form FL-300 with the Superior Court of California, County of Monterey. File it at the Family Law window on the first floor of the Monterey Courthouse, 1200 Aguajito Road in Monterey. Leave the hearing date item blank. The clerk fills in the date, time, and department when you file. Family Law and Motion matters are heard on Mondays. Cases go to Department 16 or Department 17 based on the last digit of the case number.

Monterey County serves communities from the Salinas Valley to the Monterey Peninsula. Most family law Requests for Order are filed and heard at the Monterey Courthouse. Child support matters involving the Department of Child Support Services are heard separately at the Marina Courthouse. The filing fee for a Request for Order motion is generally $60 after an initial filing fee has been paid in the case. It is $85 if the request involves a custody or visitation modification, with $20 more for temporary orders. It is $435 if this is the first document filed in the case.

Local Rule 10.1(A)(2) requires the moving party and the responding party to contact each other before the hearing date and try to resolve the issues raised in the moving papers, unless a restraining order makes that contact improper. The Family Law and Motion calendar uses tentative rulings under Local Rule 7.9. Contested custody or visitation issues are referred to Family Court Services for mediation before a judge rules, under Local Rule 10.6.

Court hours, department assignments, and online systems can change. Confirm current filing locations, hearing days, and fees with the Monterey County Superior Court or its Self-Help Center before relying on these details.

Where hearings are held in Monterey County

Family court hearings in Monterey County are held at the Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, with the county seat in Salinas. Because courtroom assignments, remote appearance options, and local procedures change over time, use the official California Courts court finder to confirm current details:

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

How a family court hearing works in California

In California, a party who wants the court to decide something while a case is pending, such as temporary custody, support, or attorney's fees, files a Request for Order (Form FL-300). The core steps are:

1. File the Request for Order (Form FL-300) with a supporting declaration and, if support or fees are at issue, an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150).
2. Serve the other party by the deadline the court sets, generally at least 16 court days before the hearing (California Rules of Court, rule 5.92).
3. The responding party can file a responsive declaration, generally at least 9 court days before the hearing.
4. Attend Family Court Services mediation first if custody or visitation is contested.
5. Attend the hearing; some courts issue tentative rulings in advance, and some allow remote appearance by video or phone.

Local notes for Monterey County

Monterey County's Family Law and Motion calendar is split between two departments at the Monterey Courthouse. Cases are assigned by the last digit of the case number, not by the type of issue. This means two parties with similar disputes may appear before different judicial officers. The court also posts tentative rulings before the Monday calendar. They are available online or by phone by 3:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing. A party who wants oral argument on a tentative ruling must notify the court and the other side by 4:00 p.m. that same day, or the tentative ruling becomes final.

Family Court Services, on the third floor of the Monterey Courthouse, has two processes for custody and visitation disputes. Mediation is confidential. The mediator cannot send a recommendation to the judge. Mediation is the default process for a contested Request for Order under Local Rule 10.6. Child Custody Recommending Counseling is different. In that process, the counselor writes a report with recommendations for the court. It is used only when a judge specifically orders it. Remote appearance for Departments 16 and 17 uses Zoom. Department-specific meeting links are posted on the court's remote appearance page and are governed by Local Rule 1.8.

Official hearing resources in Monterey County

Monterey Courthouse, Family Law Departments 16 and 17 handles hearings filings, located at 1200 Aguajito Road, Monterey 93940. Phone: (831) 647-5800. Marina Courthouse at 3180 Del Monte Blvd handles Child support matters where the Department of Child Support Services is a party, heard in Department 21 on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m..

The filing fee is $60 for a Request for Order motion if a first appearance fee was already paid in the case ($85 if the request involves a custody or visitation modification), plus $20 more if temporary orders are requested; $435 if this is the first paper filed in the case. Fees are subject to change; confirm the current amount at the court's fee schedule page.. E-filing is available through https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/online-services/electronic-filing-e-filing. Filing runs through the Odyssey eFileCA system via an approved electronic filing service provider. Attorneys are required to e-file family law documents; self-represented filers may e-file but are not required to.

Monterey County Superior Court Self-Help Center (https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork. Offers workshops and document-review appointments at the Monterey Courthouse (1200 Aguajito Road), near the Salinas Courthouse (118 W. Gabilan Street), and on a limited schedule at the Greenfield Civic Center (599 El Camino Real). Staff can help complete forms but cannot give legal advice. Local Rule 10.1(A)(2) (Meet and Confer, Family Law Law and Motion) applies; see https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/local-rules/local-rules-court_7126.pdf#page=106. Local Rule 10.1(B)(3) (Filing Deadlines for Responsive and Reply Documents) applies; see https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/local-rules/local-rules-court_7126.pdf#page=106. Local Rule 7.9 (Tentative Rulings) applies; see https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/local-rules/local-rules-court_7126.pdf#page=94. Local Rule 10.6 (Mediation of Child Custody and Visitation Disputes) applies; see https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/local-rules/local-rules-court_7126.pdf#page=106.

• Family & Child Custody division
• Self-Help Center
• Remote Appearance information
• Local Rules of Court
• Child Custody Mediation and Recommending Counseling
• Request for Order information packet

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

Monterey County RFO Hearing FAQs