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Serve the local child support agency your Request for Order

After you file your Request and get a court date, you must let the local child support agency and your child's other parent know. You do this by having another adult deliver a copy of the court papers to them. This is called "service" or having someone "served."

If you follow these instructions, the child support agency will serve the other parent for you for free.

The local child support agency will serve the other parent for free,

if they receive 2 copies of the court papers at least 30 days before your cour date. If they don't get the papers by the deadline, you need to arrange to have your child's other parent served.

How to serve your Request for Order

Choose a server
You can't serve papers yourself. Ask another adult – a server – to mail the papers.

Your server must be:
- 18 or over, and
- Not part of your case
Your server can be someone you know or a professional process server you pay.
Figure out the deadline to serve
Your server must send or deliver the papers to the local child support agency at least 30 days before your hearing date.
Take out a calendar

Find your court date (it’s listed on the first page of your Request for Order).

Count backwards on the calendar 30 days. Your court date is not counted (so it’s day “0”).

Check what day this is. If this day falls on a weekend or court holiday, keep counting until you get to a normal weekday. That’s your deadline.

Your server needs to mail or deliver the papers on or before this date.
Decide how to serve by mail or in person
Your server can deliver the papers to the local child support agency either by
- U.S. Mail
- In person
If your server mails the papers to the agency, you must also fill out and file a Declaration Regarding Address Verification–Postjudgment Request to Modify a Child Custody, Visitation, or Child Support Order (form FL-334). Check item 2 on the form.
Have your server deliver the papers
Your server can mail or hand deliver these papers to the local child support agency
- 2 copies of your Request for Orders (form FL-300) and any attachments
- 2 copies of your Income and Expense Declaration (form FL-150)
- Any other papers you filed
- If you filed one, 2 copies of the Declaration Regarding Address Verification (form FL-334)
Your server must also include a set of blank forms, so the other parent knows what to fill out
- A blank Responsive Declaration to Request for Orders (form FL-320)
- A blank Income and Expense Declaration (form FL-150)
Have your server complete the Proof of Service form
- If your server mailed the papers, you can use Proof of Service by Mail (form FL-335).
- If your server personally served, you can use Proof of Personal Service (form FL-330)
You can fill in the top part of the form with the case and court information. Your server can then fill in the information about how, when, and where they mailed or delivered the papers.

Your server must sign and date the form.
Copy and file the Proof of Service form
- Make a copy of your Proof of Service form
- At least 5 days before your court date, file the original and copy with the court where you filed the papers. The court will stamp and return the copy.
- Keep the copy of the Proof of Service form for your records