If unable to afford the costs to file an action in family court, a party may request that the court waive fees and costs. The procedure and forms needed to request an initial fee waiver in a family law action are the same as for all other civil actions, unless otherwise provided by a statute or the California Rules of Court.
The forms required to request a fee waiver may be obtained from the clerk of the court, the public law library, or online at the California Courts website.
Rules 3.50-3.56 of the California Rules of Court (title 3, division 2) govern fee waivers in family law cases. Parties may refer to the civil rules for information about:
Cal. R. Ct. 5.41