Many important issues in a California divorce or other family law proceeding cannot wait until the final trial. A spouse or parent may need the court to address child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, responsibility for debts, or another disputed issue while the case is pending. A Request for Order is the procedure commonly used to ask the California family court to make those orders.

A Request for Order Asks the Court for Specific Relief

A Request for Order is not itself a court order.

It is a formal request asking the family court to make a particular ruling.

The requesting party uses the applicable Request for Order procedure and identifies the relief being sought. Depending on the dispute, the request may concern temporary child custody or visitation, child support, spousal support, property-related issues, responsibility for debts, or other relief available in the proceeding.

Supporting documents can be necessary depending on what is requested.

For example, financial requests may require current income and expense information. A custody request may require facts explaining the parenting dispute and the specific orders the parent wants the court to make.

The responding party has an opportunity to file responsive papers addressing the requested relief.

The Hearing Gives the Court an Opportunity to Decide the Request

After proper filing and service, the Request for Order is scheduled for a hearing.

California family law hearings are not necessarily limited to written declarations. At a hearing on a Request for Order brought under the Family Code, the court generally must receive relevant, competent live testimony within the scope of the hearing unless the parties stipulate otherwise or the court finds good cause not to receive it.

Additional procedural requirements apply when a party wants to present testimony from witnesses other than the parties.

Before the hearing, a party seeking to present a nonparty witness generally must file and serve a witness list with a brief description of the anticipated testimony along with the appropriate papers.

The court can then consider the admissible evidence and make orders resolving the issues presented.

Once the judge makes an order, the parties must comply with it. The resulting ruling is not merely a recommendation or guidance for how the parties should behave.

Temporary Orders Can Remain Effective for a Significant Period

Many orders entered after a Request for Order hearing are temporary because the underlying family law case has not yet reached final judgment.

Temporary does not mean optional.

Temporary orders generally remain effective until they are superseded by another temporary order, replaced by the judgment, or otherwise modified or terminated through the proper court process.

This can be especially important in a lengthy California divorce. A temporary custody, support, or debt-payment order may govern the parties for months while discovery, settlement discussions, or trial preparation continue.

A party who believes circumstances have changed cannot simply disregard the existing order. California provides procedures for requesting modification, reconsideration, or other appropriate relief depending on the circumstances.

Responsibility for community debts is one issue that can be addressed through temporary orders. The court can specify which spouse must make particular payments and whether those payments will be reimbursed later, helping define the parties’ obligations while the divorce remains pending.

A Request for Order Can Establish Enforceable Rules While the Case Continues

A Request for Order is one of the primary procedures for asking a California family court to resolve issues that need attention before final judgment. The request identifies the specific relief sought, gives the other party an opportunity to respond, and leads to a hearing at which the court can make enforceable orders. When the resulting order is temporary, both parties must continue following it unless and until the court changes it or it is superseded by a later order or judgment.