The practice of “law and motion” in California family law cases is carried out through a motion called a “Request for Order or RFO.” This means that every time a family law litigant wants to ask the court to make temporary orders, or any post-judgment order, they will file a motion. A motion then sets the date of the hearing. A request for order, or RFO, is the act of formally asking a judge to make orders in a legal matter. If the judge issues the requested orders, the orders become enforceable by the court's contempt power.
For example, a person could ask a judge to modify spousal support, establish child custody rights, or divide marital property, etc.; all of these requests would be initiated through a legal process called a request for order (RFO). In family law proceedings, a party can ask the court to intervene in certain matters when an agreement cannot be reached. When you file for a divorce, paternity case, or legal separation, you can also file what is called a Request for Order (RFO). This is a common “law and motion” practice in California family law cases.
See Family Law Legal Forms for an abbreviated list of common required standardized legal forms related to family court RFOs.
