Not married to the other parent? Ask for custody and support.
First the court confirms who the parents are. We walk you through it, fill in the papers, and show you what comes next.
Built with licensed family law attorneys
Built with licensed family law attorneys$79 for a limited time (reg. $349). Court fees separate.
Here's everything Virdix does for you, start to finish.
Virdix walks you through every step of your case, from the first question to the day it's done. In this case, unmarried parents disagreed about custody, and the full set of ten papers was ready in about a week.
Based on a real Virdix case in Los Angeles County. Names and details changed.Your parent-rights petition, filled in from your answers
Answer easy questions in English or Spanish. Virdix fills in the petition that starts your case as unmarried parents and every paper around it. Here, the first paper was ready in about two hours.
Your parenting plan and your side of the story, on paper
Virdix turns your answers into a parenting plan with a real weekly schedule. See things differently from the other parent? Virdix helps you put what happened into a clear declaration for the judge.
Parenting plan: Kai
Mon
Jasmine
Tue
Jasmine
Wed
Jasmine
Thu
Jasmine
Fri
Devon
Sat
Devon
Sun
Devon
Exchanges Friday at 6:00 PM. Holidays alternate each year.
DECLARATION OF JASMINE CARTER
Kai has lived with me since birth. Devon has seen Kai on some weekends.
Your courthouse, your fee, your hours
Know exactly where to go. Virdix gives you your county's family law courthouse, the clerk's hours, and the filing fee. If money is tight, Virdix shows you how to request a fee waiver.
Where to file
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Open
- Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
- Filing fee
- $435
- Family law phone
- (213) 633-6363
Papers delivered to the other parent the right way
The court needs proof the other parent got a copy. Virdix shows you who can deliver it, what to hand over, and fills in the proof paper for you.
Who can deliver them
- Any adult, 18 or older, who is not you
- They hand the other parent the papers in person
- They fill in the proof paper, and you file it
FL-330 PROOF OF PERSONAL SERVICE
Served on October 6, 2026 by Tyrell Carter
A heads-up before every deadline
Add your dates and Virdix emails you before each one, so you stay on track while life keeps happening.
Virdix
Your court date is in 7 days
To: Jasmine Carter
Your papers and parenting plan are in your case. Here's what to bring and where to go.
Stuck on a step? Ask your case manager
A real person answers your questions about the steps, your papers, and where things go. Help is always one message away. Call or text (888) 486-3408
Always know what's next
Your case page shows what's done, what's due, and what comes next, from your first papers to your court dates.
Your case
- Parent-rights petitionDone
- Parenting planDone
- Filed at courtDone, October 1
- Papers deliveredDone, October 6
- Court dateWednesday, November 18
The courthouse details above are real Los Angeles County details. Virdix has the same for all 58 California counties. Names and details are changed to protect privacy.
Let's get your parentage case started today.
Answer a few questions about your situation and your children. Your petition, summons, and any custody or support requests build themselves as you go, and you see page one of your first document before you pay.
Get startedRejected by the clerk? We fix it until it's accepted. Learn more
What we do
Everything you need to file a parentage case is on Virdix.
You answer plain questions. Virdix completes the official forms your case needs, checks them the way a clerk would, and tells you where to file in your county. Then we show you what comes next.
About your children
Do you and the other parent have minor children together?
Why people choose Virdix
Documents ready instantly
Your forms are produced automatically as you answer. No waiting days for someone to prepare them, no mail, nothing to chase.
One flat price, upfront
Answer the first questions and see page one of your first document. $79 once for your whole case ($349 after October 31). Flat pricing instead of retainers and hourly billing.
The forms that open a parentage case
Form FL-200, the Petition to Determine Parental Relationship, opens the case. Form FL-210, the Summons, formally notifies the other parent. When custody is part of the request, the FL-105 UCCJEA declaration is completed too.
Custody and support ride on the same case
Once parentage is established, custody, visitation, and child support can be requested inside that same case instead of separate filings started from scratch.
All 58 California counties
Filing instructions matched to your county's Superior Court, from your first form to your final order.
Rejected by the clerk? We fix it until it's accepted
If a court clerk rejects a document we prepared, we fix it until it's accepted.
A case manager, included.
A real person answers your questions about the process, your papers, and filing. Call or text (888) 486-3408
"Virdix created my packet based on my answers and gave me a lot more clarity and confidence in filing the right things… the questions aligned more with what I needed."
Alicia, custody case, Los Angeles County
Real user feedback
Compare your options
Three ways to handle a parentage case
- Petition, summons, and custody or support requests prepared together
- Documents produced instantly as you answer
- Guided builders for custody and support requests
- County-matched instructions from filing to final order
$79One payment for your whole case.
Other online services
- Most focus on divorce paperwork, not parentage cases for unmarried parents
- Days, sometimes a week, before your forms come back
- No custody or support request support
- Just forms, no process guidance
$400 to $2,000Typical published rates. Most only handle divorce paperwork for spouses who already agree on everything.
Traditional attorney
- Retainers up front, then hourly billing
- Conflict escalates through opposing attorneys
- Scheduling delays can stretch for months
- You wait on someone else for every document
$5,000+Attorney-represented California family law cases commonly run $5,000 to $15,000.
File your parentage case without the $15,000 attorney.
Parentage case questions
What is a parentage case in California?+
A parentage case (sometimes called a paternity case) is a family court case that establishes who a child's legal parents are. It's a separate legal question from custody, visitation, or child support: a court generally can't order those things until legal parentage is established.
Who needs to open a parentage case?+
Parentage cases are most common for unmarried parents, since a child born during an existing marriage is usually already covered by California's marital presumption. If you and the other parent were never married and parentage isn't already on file through a signed Voluntary Declaration of Parentage, a court case is the path to establish it.
What forms start a California parentage case?+
A parentage case is opened with Form FL-200, the Petition to Determine Parental Relationship. The other parent is then formally notified using Form FL-210, the Summons. When the case includes a custody request, the FL-105 UCCJEA declaration is also required. All three are official California Judicial Council forms.
Can custody, visitation, and child support be requested in the same case?+
Yes. Once you've opened a parentage case, you can ask the court to also address custody, visitation, and child support as part of that same case, rather than filing separate cases for each issue.
Do I need a lawyer to file a parentage case?+
No. California allows self-representation in family court, including parentage cases. Virdix prepares your documents and gives you step-by-step filing instructions, but is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
Can I start my parentage case before paying?+
You can start your case, answer the first questions, and see page one of your first document before you pay. A one time payment of $79 for a limited time ($349 after October 31) unlocks your full packet, the rest of your questions, filing guidance, and a case manager.
What a California parentage case is
A parentage case answers a threshold legal question before anything else about the child can be decided by a court.
What it establishes
- Who a child's legal parents are, most commonly for unmarried parents
- The legal basis for later custody and visitation orders
- The legal basis for a child support order
- A legal parent-child relationship recognized statewide, not just locally
The forms that open it
- Form FL-200, Petition to Determine Parental Relationship, opens the case
- Form FL-210, the Summons, formally notifies the other parent
- Form FL-105, the UCCJEA declaration, is required when custody is part of the request
- A signed Voluntary Declaration of Parentage can establish parentage without going to court at all
Rules that vary by circumstance, like rescission windows for a signed declaration or exactly how a marital presumption applies to your situation, are best confirmed with the California Courts Self-Help Center or your county's family law facilitator. For the full breakdown, see our guide to parentage in California.
Virdix is self-help software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. If your case involves domestic violence or you fear for your safety, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.