Spousal Support in Riverside County, California

In Riverside County, you ask for spousal support by filing Form FL-300 (Request for Order) with the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. The hearing is held at the family law courthouse handling your case, often the Riverside Family Law Courthouse in the city of Riverside. This applies to temporary spousal support while a divorce or legal separation is pending, and to long term spousal support decided at judgment.

Riverside County is large, and family law cases are handled at several courthouses. The court's Family Law Division lists the Riverside Family Law Courthouse, the Blythe Courthouse, the Larson Justice Center in Indio, and the Menifee Justice Center. Other locations, such as the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, also offer self-help resources. The right location usually depends on where the case was filed or where the respondent lives. Confirm the correct courthouse before you appear.

Temporary spousal support is covered by the court's Family Law Local Rules (Title 5). Those rules do not name a separate Riverside formula. California courts often use computer programs such as DissoMaster or XSpouse to calculate a guideline temporary support amount. Riverside's rules also require a Spousal Support Declaration using Judicial Council Form FL-157 once a case reaches a mandatory settlement conference. Long term spousal support, decided at judgment, is governed throughout California, including Riverside County, by the factors in Family Code section 4320.

The basic legal process is the same as in other California counties. You use the same statewide Judicial Council forms. A Request for Order must be served with at least 16 court days notice before the hearing, and the other party has 9 court days to file a response, under California Rules of Court, rule 5.92. Riverside-specific issues include which courthouse hears your case, current e-filing procedures, and where to get free help with your paperwork.

Where spousal support cases are heard in Riverside County

Spousal support matters in Riverside County are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, with the county seat in Riverside. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local procedures change over time, use the official California Courts court finder to confirm current details for your case:

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

How spousal support works in California

California distinguishes between temporary spousal support, ordered while a case is pending, and long-term spousal support, ordered at judgment. For temporary support, many counties, including some large ones, have adopted a local guideline formula (commonly run through software like DissoMaster or XSpouse) that produces a presumptive number; other counties leave temporary support to the judge's discretion without a local formula.

Long-term spousal support, by contrast, has no formula anywhere in California. A judge weighs the factors in Family Code section 4320, including each spouse's earning capacity, the marital standard of living, the length of the marriage, and the supported spouse's ability to become self-supporting. Spousal support is requested with a Request for Order (Form FL-300) and an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150), inside a divorce or legal separation case.

Local notes for Riverside County

Riverside County Family Law Facilitators are attorneys who work for the Superior Court. They give free help to people without lawyers, including help with petitions, responses, Department of Child Support Services questions, child and spousal support calculations, and motions such as a Request for Order. Facilitators are neutral. They do not represent either party and are not responsible for the outcome of a case. New family law litigants are generally required to attend a workshop before meeting one-on-one with a facilitator. Services are offered first come, first served at courthouses around the county.

The fee to file a petition or first paper in a Riverside County family law case, which covers most spousal support related filings, is $450 under the court's current fee schedule, unless the court grants a fee waiver using Form FW-001. Riverside has its own eSubmit portal for sending family law documents to the court electronically. A $2.00 transaction fee applies to most non-exempt submissions. There is no fee to submit a domestic violence or gun violence restraining order through eSubmit.

Riverside County covers a wide area, from the urban core near the city of Riverside to desert communities near Palm Springs and Indio. Confirm which family law courthouse is assigned to your case before you file or appear for a spousal support hearing. Bring current financial documents to any support hearing, including recent pay records, tax returns, and an Income and Expense Declaration (Form FL-150). Check current department assignments and hours directly with the court, because they can change.

Official spousal support resources in Riverside County

Riverside Family Law Courthouse handles spousal-support filings, located at 4175 Main Street, Riverside 92501. Phone: (951) 777-3147. Blythe Courthouse at 265 N. Broadway handles Family law matters, including spousal support, for the Palo Verde Valley area of eastern Riverside County. Larson Justice Center at 46-200 Oasis Street handles Family law matters, including spousal support, for the Coachella Valley / desert region. Menifee Justice Center at 27401 Menifee Center Drive handles Family law matters, including spousal support, for southwest Riverside County.

The filing fee is $450. E-filing is available through https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/forms-filing/esubmit. Riverside Superior Court operates its own eSubmit portal for electronically delivering documents in family law and other case types. Documents must be non-editable PDFs under 50MB. A $2.00 transaction fee applies to most non-exempt submissions; there is no fee to submit a domestic violence or gun violence restraining order. The court's pages reviewed did not name a separate third-party e-filing service provider for family law.

Self-Help Legal Services / Family Law Facilitators (https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/self-help/divorce-separation) can help with procedure and paperwork. Riverside Superior Court's Self-Help Legal Services department assists with family law, evictions, small claims, guardianship, conservatorship, probate, and restraining orders. Family Law Facilitators, attorneys who work for the court, give free assistance with petitions, responses, Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) questions, child and spousal support calculations, and motions such as a Request for Order. Facilitators are neutral, do not represent either party, and communications with them are not confidential. New family law litigants are generally required to attend a workshop before meeting individually with a facilitator; help is offered first come, first served at courthouses around the county. Local Rules 5150 to 5153 (Title 5, Family Law) (Mandatory Settlement Conferences and Trial Rules and Procedures, including the Spousal Support Declaration (Form FL-157) requirement) applies; see https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/system/files/title5.pdf?cb=1772484229.

• Family Law Division
• Divorce or Separation Self-Help
• Family Law Local Rules (Title 5)
• eSubmit
• Fee Schedule

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

Riverside County Spousal Support FAQs