Family Support Division (Governmental Child Support)
The Family Support Division (FSD) hears all actions filed by the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) regarding support, support enforcement, medical insurance and parentage. The FSD also hears support issues in family law cases in which the DCSS is providing enforcement services.
The FSD does not hear matters regarding divorce, custody, visitation, restraining orders, or property issues. These issues must be heard at one of the family law locations.
All paperwork in FSD cases may be filed at the Family Support Division located at:
San Diego Central Courthouse
1100 Union Street, 4th floor room 450
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 844-2799
Business office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, except court holidays.
You may call the FSD business office to schedule an ex-parte hearing. When calling the FSD business office please have your Superior Court case number readily available. You may call DCSS at 1-866-901-3212 if you don't know your case number and ask them to do a search by Social Security Number. Please make sure you ask for your Superior Court case number.
If your child support case has been assigned to the North County Regional Center (Vista courthouse), it will be heard in Department NC-34. Documents relating to child support cases in Vista may be filed in the Vista Family Law/Civil Business Office located at:
North County Regional Center
325 South Melrose Dr.
Vista, California 92081
(760) 201-8600
In order to obtain copies from an FSD case you may come to the San Diego County Courthouse in person or send a written request (please allow up to two weeks for processing written requests) to the address listed above. Please include the following in your request: Superior Court case number, the parties' names, documents you wish to have copied, check or money order made payable to "Clerk of the Court" and a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage. There is an additional charge for certified copies (see Domestic Fee Schedule for certification and copying fees). Except for the judgment or orders modifying the judgment, access to parentage files is limited to the parties in the case. If you are a party to a parentage case and wish to request copies of documents other than a judgment or modifying orders, please enclose a copy of your picture ID.
There are no filing fees for paperwork filed relating to the child support issues in FSD cases. Filing fees are required for filings at other family law locations that relate to child custody and visitation. If you cannot afford to pay the required fee, you may request a Fee Waiver. The following are the forms you'll need to apply for a fee waiver:
NOTICE OF ELECTRONIC CASE FILE AND IMAGING DOCUMENTS 
This case has been imaged and the imaged case is the official record of the court. All pleadings and documents including all original documents attached to pleadings filed with the court will be destroyed. Original documents, other than pleadings should be lodged with the court pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 3.1302(b).
The electronic copy of the filed document(s) is the official court record pursuant to Government Code section 68150. The paper filings will be imaged and held for 30 days. After that time, they will be destroyed and recycled. Thus, you should not attach any original documents to pleadings filed with the San Diego Superior Court. Any original documents necessary for a motion hearing or trial shall be lodged in advance of the hearing or trial pursuant to California Rules of Court, rule 3.1302(b).
It is the duty of DCSS to serve a copy of this notice with case initiating documents on all parties in the case.
San Diego Department of Child Support Services
The Department of Child Support Services provides the following services:
- Establish parentage (fatherhood).
- Locate parents for support establishment and enforcement.
- Establish child and/or medical support orders.
- Enforce child and/or medical support orders.
- Modify existing court orders for child and/or medical support.
- Enforce spousal support orders where there is also a child support order.
- Collect and distribute support payments.
Please contact the DCSS at 1-866-901-3212 concerning the following issues:
- Payment information
- Verification by an employer of a wage assignment arrears balances
- Tax intercepts
- Information reported to credit bureaus
- Liens/abstracts of support judgment
- When requesting a continuance of an upcoming hearing
- To give an ex-parte notice
Mandatory meet and confer Info:
Pursuant to San Diego Superior Court Rules, you must participate in a pre-court meeting (meet and confer) with the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). DCSS will contact you prior to the court hearing to conduct this meeting. Please keep DCSS updated with your current phone number and email address by contacting the following number: 866-901-3212. The pre-court meeting (meet and confer) with DCSS will be conducted telephonically or via video communication. Further instructions for participating in the court hearing will be provided at that time.
Do not call the FSD business office for these issues. Information regarding these issues is not available to the FSD business office.
Family Law Self Help Services
The staff of the Family Law Facilitator's Office (FLF) can help unrepresented parents and parties who have questions about family law issues. They can help you in preparing court forms and can give you general legal information at no cost. The Family law Facilitator's Office is staffed by court attorneys, paralegals, and clerks with experience in family law. The Family Law Facilitator's Office does not assist parents or parties who are represented by an attorney. The attorneys at the Family law Facilitator's Office are not your lawyer, but are neutral court employees who do not represent any parent or party and may provide information and services to all parties in the case.
Assistance in cases where the DCSS is enforcing support is provided by the FLF at the following locations:
Central Courthouse
1100 Union Street, 4th Floor
San Diego CA 92101
Sign in time: 7:30 a.m.
Sessions begin at 8:00 a.m. |
North County Courthouse
325 S. Melrose Drive
Vista, CA 92081
Sign in time: 7:30 a.m.
Sessions being at 8:00 a.m. |
Services are provided on a walk-in basis (first come, first served). Arrive early as space is limited.
For assistance with financial matters, please bring written proof of your income for the past 12 months, including your pay stubs for the last two months, your last federal income tax return, any W-2 forms for last year, and copies of any relevant court orders.
Court Links
California Judicial Council's Forms page
Download your California family support forms.
California's Department of Child Support Services Organization (CDCSS)
Get information on parentage, child support enforcement, the child support process and other pertinent information regarding support issues.
California Family Codes
California rules on parentage and child support and other family codes.
