4000-4014
FAMILY.CODE
SECTION 4000-4014
4000. If a parent has the duty to provide for the support of the parent's child and willfully fails to so provide, the other parent, or the child by a guardian ad litem, may bring an action against the parent to enforce the duty. 4001. In any proceeding where there is at issue the support of a minor child or a child for whom support is authorized under Section 3901 or 3910, the court may order either or both parents to pay an amount necessary for the support of the child. 4002. (a) The county may proceed on behalf of a child to enforce the child's right of support against a parent. (b) If the county furnishes support to a child, the county has the same right as the child to secure reimbursement and obtain continuing support. The right of the county to reimbursement is subject to any limitation otherwise imposed by the law of this state. (c) The court may order the parent to pay the county reasonable attorney's fees and court costs in a proceeding brought by the county pursuant to this section. 4003. In any case in which the support of a child is at issue, the court may, upon a showing of good cause, order a separate trial on that issue. The separate trial shall be given preference over other civil cases, except matters to which special precedence may be given by law, for assigning a trial date. If the court has also ordered a separate trial on the issue of custody pursuant to Section 3023, the two issues shall be tried together. 4004. In a proceeding where there is at issue the support of a child, the court shall require the parties to reveal whether a party is currently receiving, or intends to apply for, public assistance under the Family Economic Security Act of 1982 (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) for the maintenance of the child. 4005. At the request of either party, the court shall make appropriate findings with respect to the circumstances on which the order for support of a child is based. 4006. In a proceeding for child support under this code, including, but not limited to, Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000), the court shall consider the health insurance coverage, if any, of the parties to the proceeding. 4007. (a) If a court orders a person to make specified payments for support of a child during the child's minority, or until the child is married or otherwise emancipated, or until the death of, or the occurrence of a specified event as to, a child for whom support is authorized under Section 3901 or 3910, the obligation of the person ordered to pay support terminates on the happening of the contingency. The court may, in the original order for support, order the custodial parent or other person to whom payments are to be made to notify the person ordered to make the payments, or the person's attorney of record, of the happening of the contingency. (b) If the custodial parent or other person having physical custody of the child, to whom payments are to be made, fails to notify the person ordered to make the payments, or the attorney of record of the person ordered to make the payments, of the happening of the contingency and continues to accept support payments, the person shall refund all moneys received that accrued after the happening of the contingency, except that the overpayments shall first be applied to any support payments that are then in default. 4007.5. (a) Every money judgment or order for support of a child that is being enforced by a local child support agency under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.) shall provide the following: (1) The obligation of the person ordered to pay support shall be suspended for any period exceeding 90 consecutive days in which the person ordered to pay support is incarcerated or involuntarily institutionalized, unless the obligor has the means to pay support while incarcerated or involuntarily institutionalized. (2) The suspension of the support obligation shall only apply for the period of time during which the obligor is incarcerated or involuntarily institutionalized, after which the obligation shall immediately resume in the amount otherwise specified in the child support order. (b) The court shall provide notice to the parties of the support obligation suspension provided in subdivision (a) at the time the order is issued or modified. (c) Upon release from incarceration or involuntary institutionalization, an obligor may petition the court for an adjustment of the arrears pursuant to the suspension of the support obligation authorized in subdivision (b). The obligor must show proof of the dates of incarceration or involuntary institutionalization, as well as proof that during that time, the obligor did not have the means to pay the support. The obligor shall serve copies of the petition to the support obligee and the local child support agency, who may file an objection to the obligor's petition with the court. An obligor's arrears shall not be adjusted until the court has approved the petition. (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the court may deny the obligor's petition if it finds that the obligor was incarcerated or involuntarily institutionalized for any offense constituting domestic violence, as defined in Section 6211, against the support obligee or supported child, or for any offense that could be enjoined by a protective order pursuant to Section 6320, or as a result of his or her failure to comply with a court order to pay child support. (e) For purposes of this section, "incarcerated or involuntarily institutionalized" includes, but is not limited to, involuntary confinement to a state prison, county jail, juvenile facility operated by the Division of Juvenile Facilities in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or a mental health facility. (f) For purposes of this section, "suspend" means that the child support order is modified and set to zero dollars ($0) for the period in which the obligor is incarcerated or involuntarily institutionalized. (g) This section applies to all child support orders and modifications issued on or after July 1, 2011. (h) The Judicial Council shall, on or before July 1, 2011, develop forms necessary for the implementation of this section, including forms for a petition to adjust arrears. (i) This section shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2015, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before July 1, 2015, deletes or extends that date. 4008. The community property, the quasi-community property, and the separate property may be subjected to the support of the children in the proportions the court determines are just. 4009. An original order for child support may be made retroactive to the date of filing the petition, complaint, or other initial pleading. If the parent ordered to pay support was not served with the petition, complaint, or other initial pleading within 90 days after filing and the court finds that the parent was not intentionally evading service, the child support order shall be effective no earlier than the date of service. 4010. In a proceeding in which the court orders a payment for the support of a child, the court shall, at the time of providing written notice of the order, provide the parties with a document describing the procedures by which the order may be modified. 4011. Payment of child support ordered by the court shall be made by the person owing the support payment before payment of any debts owed to creditors. 4012. Upon a showing of good cause, the court may order a parent required to make a payment of child support to give reasonable security for the payment. 4013. If obligations for support of a child are discharged in bankruptcy, the court may make all proper orders for the support of the child that the court determines are just. 4014. (a) Any order for child support issued or modified pursuant to this chapter shall include a provision requiring the obligor and child support obligee to notify the other parent or, if the order requires payment through an agency designated under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651, et seq.), the agency named in the order, of the name and address of his or her current employer. (b) The requirements set forth in this subdivision apply only in cases in which the local child support agency is not providing child support services pursuant to Section 17400. To the extent required by federal law, and subject to applicable confidentiality provisions of state or federal law, any judgment for paternity and any order for child support entered or modified pursuant to any provision of law shall include a provision requiring the child support obligor and obligee to file with the court all of the following information: (1) Residential and mailing address. (2) Social security number. (3) Telephone number. (4) Driver's license number. (5) Name, address, and telephone number of the employer. (6) Any other information prescribed by the Judicial Council. The judgment or order shall specify that each parent is responsible for providing his or her own information, that the information must be filed with the court within 10 days of the court order, and that new or different information must be filed with the court within 10 days after any event causing a change in the previously provided information. (c) The requirements set forth in this subdivision shall only apply in cases in which the local child support agency is not providing child support services pursuant to Section 17400. Once the child support registry, as described in Section 16576 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is operational, any judgment for paternity and any order for child support entered or modified pursuant to any provision of law shall include a provision requiring the child support obligor and obligee to file and keep updated the information specified in subdivision (b) with the child support registry. (d) The Judicial Council shall develop forms to implement this section. The forms shall be developed so as not to delay the implementation of the Statewide Child Support Registry described in Section 16576 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and shall be available no later than 30 days prior to the implementation of the Statewide Child Support Registry.