To start a case, you begin by filling out two court forms: a Petition and a Summons. You will also need to fill out a form that tells the court where your children were born and live and if there are any other court cases involving them.
PRINT EMAILThe forms include some terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Read more about these:
Generally, you must file your case in the county where your child lives or can be found. If you aren't sure where they are, you can file where you live. But a judge may move the case to another county. Look up the address of the court and write it down since you will need it to put on your court papers. Sometimes there are multiple courts where you can file. Look for a county court that handles family law cases. Get county court info
You can also attach optional forms to your petition to give more detail about the custody and visitation (parenting time) orders you are asking for. Some optional forms you can use are:
On the forms, you're called the petitioner because you're the one starting the case. The other person is called the respondent.
Fill out more forms if you can't afford the filing fee. When you file these forms, you will need to pay a fee (between $435 and $ 450). If you can't afford the fee, you can fill out forms to ask for a fee waiver.
Some courts have additional local forms they require you to use. Contact your court clerk’s office, check your court’s website, or talk to your Family Law Facilitator or Self-Help Center to ask if they have any local forms you need to use.
The process to ask a judge to decide things like this is called requesting temporary orders. You’ll need to fill out more forms.