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Court cases frequently involve serious and complex legal issues. It can be particularly difficult to represent yourself in family law cases because they touch on the most important and personal areas in your life—your children, your assets, your debts, and your finances. There are also many rules, laws, and forms required in all court cases, especially in family law case. Before you make the decision to represent yourself in your court case, you should consider consulting with an attorney. Many attorneys charge only a nominal amount or nothing at all for a consultation.
If you are not represented by an attorney in your court case, you can obtain general information and assistance completing necessary court forms at the Shasta County Superior Court’s Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center.
SELF-HELP CENTER AND FAMILY LAW FACILITATOR
IF YOU NEED HELP AND AND ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY WE MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU
Telephone number is 530-245-6900
Email address is selfhelp@shasta.courts.ca.gov
While we can give you general information regarding forms and processes, we cannot provide you with you legal advice. If you require legal advice you will need to speak with a private attorney. The Family Law Facilitator is NOT your attorney, does not represent you, and is not responsible for the outcome of your case.
LOCATION
Main Courthouse, 1515 Court Street, Redding CA 96001 -
Map
Walk-in Office Hours: See Schedule
Classes: See the Workshop Schedule
Email Family Law Facilitator's Office
(530) 245-6900 (recorded information/limited assistance)
FIND INFORMATION ABOUT
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self-Help Center is operated under the supervision of an attorney. The attorney and her staff provide limited assistance to all self-represented parties regardless of income. Service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis during office hours, through telephone hotline, and through email. Due to limited resources, the lines can be quite long.
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self-Help Center cannot give you legal advice, which means that the attorney and her staff cannot tell you what you should do in your particular case. To obtain legal advice, you must hire your own attorney. The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center can provide general information about the laws, rules, procedures and forms necessary to work your way through your court case. The office also provides referrals to other service organizations that may assist you.
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center cannot represent you and the information you discuss is not confidential. No attorney-client relationship is created between you and the program attorney. The program provides services to both parties and may also assist a third party who has joined in the case. The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center cannot speak for you in court and is not responsible for the outcome of your case.
- Educational materials to parents concerning the court processes, particularly regarding family law cases such as divorce, establishing parentage and establishing, modifying, and enforcing child and spousal support;
- Assistance with voluntary declarations of paternity;
- Assistance preparing child-support schedules based upon statutory guidelines;
- Referrals to the local child support agency, family court services and other community resources that provide services that can assist you with your court case and with the complex issues involved in family law cases;
- Assistance with child support issues;
- Assistance with filing for a divorce (dissolution), nullity, or legal separation;
- Assistance to parties to obtain a final judgment in their family law case;
- Assistance to parties seeking court-related enforcement of family law judgments;
- Assistance preparing Findings and Orders after Hearing;
- Assistance preparing stipulations (agreements that can become a court order) and/or stipulated judgments;
- Assistance with Requests for Orders in family law matters (such as child and spousal support, custody, parenting time/visitation, attorney’s fees, orders for temporary control of property, use of vehicles, or assignment of responsibility for payment of debts);
- Assistance with change of venue (moving your court case to another county or out of state);
- Information and assistance with grandparent visitation;
- Assistance with guardianship cases;
- Assistance with unlawful detainer actions;
- Identifying necessary forms for your court case and providing guidance on how to complete the forms;
- Assistance with methods and forms for proper service of your court forms.
- Assistance with family law cases filed in other counties located in California. However, each county has a Family Law Facilitator’s Office, and it is generally best to seek assistance in the county where your case is filed because that county will have its own local rules, practices, and procedures for preparation of paperwork.
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self-Help Center does not provide assistance with the following matters:
- Calculations of “Permanent” Spousal Support;
- Service outside of the United States of America;
- Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)
- Conservatorships;
- Applications for Domestic-Violence Restraining Orders (see below for referral to One Safe Place);
- General Civil Actions;
- Small Claims Matters;
- Agency Adoptions
- Juvenile or Dependency Matters
- Bankruptcy Issues
- Criminal Matters
- Out-of-state matters. Every state has its own laws, rules, and forms applicable to family-law and other court cases. The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center cannot assist you with cases outside of California. We may be able to help you register a family law order for custody, visitation or support from another State into California for enforcement purposes.
Shasta County Superior Court’s Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center can assist you in our offices, over the telephone and via e-mail.
- Assistance during office hours and on the telephone hotline is available on a first-come, first serve basis.
- Workshops are also available; see Workshop Schedule.
- Appointments with the Family Law Facilitator may be available, particularly for parties preparing stipulations (agreements that can become court orders).
- You can also e-mail us your questions.
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office/Self Help Center does not have interpreters on staff. It is best if you bring someone with you whom you trust to accurately translate questions and responses from your native language to English and vice versa. Do not use a child to interpret for you.
If you have access to a computer and internet services, there are a wide variety of resources available to you that will help you understand the issues in your court case. Many of the links below will also help you complete the necessary forms, explain where you need to go to file those papers and explain what fees you might have to pay and how to ask for a court order waiving (not collecting) those fees. Following are a few of the web sites that provide assistance and information that may help you represent yourself and better understand the legal and procedural issues in your case.
Families Change
When parents separate it has a big effect on the children. Parents need to make decisions that are in the best interests of the children. The innovative website Families Change provides Guides for Separation and Divorce that can help children and parents during this challenging time. The site also contains an interactive game called Changeville that can help children learn about what to expect and how to deal with all the feelings they may have regarding their parents’ separation and divorce. There is also an online course for parents, Parenting After Separation that helps parents make informed decisions about their separation and divorce, putting the children’s needs first.
Shasta County Department of Child Support Services
To learn about child support and the services available to you in Shasta County, visit the Shasta County Department of Child Support Services web site.
You can also open a child support case online for no charge by using Shasta County Department of Child Support Service’s Turbo Court service to prepare your forms. By using Turbo Court, you can submit completed forms electronically to the Shasta County Department of Child Support Services. This is much easier than filling out a paper application.
California Department of Child Support Services Paternity Opportunity Program (POP)
This site provides information about Declarations of Paternity and how to amend a child’s birth certificate to add the father’s name through the California Department of Public Health once paternity is established by a Declaration of Paternity.
The California Department of Public Health provides other services related to birth, death and marriage certificates.
Online Guideline Child-Support Calculator
This site is helpful if you want to estimate the amount of child support that might be ordered in your case or if you want to learn more about the factors considered in calculating guideline child support.
Online Application for Child Support Services
Apply online for child support services.
Judicial Council of California
Fill out your court forms and get valuable on line Self-Help information on a wide range of legal topics at the Judicial Council website.
Shasta County Superior Court Family Law
This web page contains valuable information and definitions regarding Family Law cases. The court’s Forms and Filing page lists the contents of the court’s “form packets.” These form packets can be purchased from the court and filled out by hand or the lists can be used as a guide for filling out forms on line using the Judicial Council forms website.
One Safe Place
This site is helpful with domestic-violence issues, including preparation of Domestic Violence Restraining Orders. One Safe Place also provides Education and Outreach services, including Purposeful Parenting Resources.
Shasta County District Attorney’s Office Child Abduction Unit
Child abduction can be committed both by parents and by non-parents. If you are a parent and you have a valid, enforceable child custody order and the other parent is keeping, concealing or withholding the child from you, the District Attorney may assign an investigator to investigate your case.
All complaints regarding the Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Center shall be in writing and may be submitted to the Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Center for submission to the Court Executive Officer of the Superior Court of Shasta County, or submitted directly to the Court Executive Officer in the Administration Division. A complaint form may be utilized for this purpose or the details of the complaint may be contained in a letter format. Complaints may be hand delivered or mailed.
Complaints shall be duly investigated by the Shasta County Superior Court Administrative Office. A written response to the complainant may be provided by the Court Executive Officer, or his or her designee.