Family Law Facilitator
The Family Law Facilitator is an attorney who offers assistance to individuals representing themselves in matters related to child support and family law. Their role is to aid self-represented litigants, individuals involved in a lawsuit without legal representation, in managing their child and spousal support cases. They can assist you with an existing case or guide you in initiating a new one. The Facilitator can assist you in selecting the appropriate legal forms and provide guidance on how to complete, serve, and file documents with the clerk's office. If you need to present your case before a judge or commissioner in court, you will be responsible for presenting your case independently.
It's important to note that the Family Law Facilitator is not acting as your personal attorney, and there is no attorney-client relationship established between you and the Facilitator. Their services are available to anyone, including, possibly, the other party involved in your case, such as your former spouse or the other parent of your child. The Facilitator offers information and explains various options but does not provide legal advice. If you require assistance with case strategy, you should consult with your own attorney for legal advice. When you speak with the Family Law Facilitator, your conversation is neither private nor confidential.
The services of the Family Law Facilitator are currently being offered remotely.
To add yourself to the list for callbacks, please call or text (530) 903-5838. Be sure to include your name and a good callback number, Callbacks will be made in the order in which they were received. Please be prepared to answer a text or call back from the number above to be provided with the appropriate assistance.
See the flyer below for additional information relating to the Family Law Facilitator:
Frequently Asked Questions
The Family Law Facilitator can assist you with the following:
- Help you select the proper legal forms required for your situation.
- Help you with the paperwork to establish, modify, or terminate child and/or spousal support orders.
- Explain the process of establishing paternity; and provide you with the necessary paperwork to establish paternity.
- Help you with Motions and/or Orders to Show Cause and responses to establish, modify, or terminate a child support, spousal support or health insurance order; determine arrears; release licenses; establish repayment plans; seek reimbursement for overpayment; and, quash or modify wage assignment orders.
- Help you prepare Orders After Hearing for child support, spousal support, establishment of paternity or disestablishment of paternity.
- Provide information and prepare draft calculations of support amounts based on statutory guidelines.
- Provide referrals to DCSS (Department of Child Support Services), Family Court Services, and other community agencies.
- Help you with answers to DCSS complaints.
- Assist in motions to set aside previous rulings in appropriate cases.
- Assist in preparing and filing Proofs of Service.
- Assist you with wage assignments.
- Fee waiver applications.
The Family Law Facilitator does not:
- Act as your attorney, but solely as a neutral person who does not represent any parent or party. There is no attorney-client relationship or privilege between you and any office staff. Because we do not represent individuals, the Family Law Facilitator's Office may assist both parties in a case. Communication between you and the Family Law Facilitator's Office are not confidential.
- Attend any court hearing with you. If you need to go to court to present your case, you will present your case alone.
- May not be able to provide assistance with complex cases. You are advised to seek the services of a private attorney in such situations. The Family Law Facilitator's Office may not assist parties who are represented by an attorney.
- Assist with Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs), Grandparent petitions for visitation, Legal research or points and authorities, or with appeals or writs.
- Be responsible for the outcome of your case.
- A copy of all court documents relating to your case, particularly any current judgments or orders.
- Papers, documents, letters that you have received from the Department of Child Support Services or from the other party concerning your case.
- For financial issues:
- Written proof of your income from all sources for the past 12 months.
- Pay stubs for the last two months.
- Your W-2 forms for last year.
- If you are disabled, proof of your disability and monthly disability income.
- If you are unemployed, proof of your unemployment and monthly unemployment income.
- Information about your monthly living expenses, including housing, utilities, insurance, food, transportation, education, clothing, daycare expenses, and any extraordinary expenses related to health care and catastrophic losses.
- Names and birthdates of your children and an estimate of your custody/visitation with each child.
- Filing fees, if you don't qualify for a fee waiver. In Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) cases, no filing fees are required ONLY on support issues.
Topics discussed with the Family Law Facilitator may not be appropriate for minor children. If you have minor children, you are encouraged to make other childcare arrangements when speaking with the Facilitator.
The Family Law Facilitator can only provide limited assistance in the preparation of documents for general Family Law matters (including parentage, child and spousal support, health insurance coverage, and wage assignments).
The Lassen Superior Court recognizes the need of self-represented litigants to have meaningful access to the courts. The Self-Help Center provides free legal and procedural assistance to individuals without an attorney. All services are provided free of charge. The Self-Help Center provides you assistance in the following areas of law:
- Divorce, Legal Separation, & Annulment
- Domestic Violence
- Child Custody & Visitation
- Child and Spousal Support
- Change of Venue
- Civil Harassment
- Stepparent Adoptions
- Paternity
- Guardianship
- Name Change
- Unlawful Detainer
- Small Claims
For more information, visit the Self-Help webpage on this site.