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HomeFamily CodeDiv. 17Ch. 5§ 17803 Parent Decision Review Petition

§ 17803 Parent Decision Review Petition

Family Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 17803 Parent Decision Review Petition

This law lets a mom or dad ask a court to check if a child support decision was made the right way. They have one year to do this after they get the final decision.

Key Takeaways

  • •You have only one year after the final decision to ask the court to review it
  • •You don’t have to pay a fee to file the request
  • •If you win, the court can make the other side pay your lawyer fees
  • •The court will only look at whether the law was followed, not whether you like the decision

Example

A dad gets a letter saying he has to pay $500 every month for child support, but he thinks the people who decided this made a mistake.

He can go to a bigger court within one year and ask them to look at the whole case again to see if any rules were broken. He doesn’t have to pay a fee to ask, and if he wins, the court can make the other side pay his lawyer bills.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 17803 Parent Decision Review Petition

The custodial or noncustodial parent, within one year after receiving notice of the director’s final decision, may file a petition with the superior court, under Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure, praying for a review of the entire proceedings in the matter, upon questions of law involved in the case. The review, if granted, shall be the exclusive remedy available to the custodial or noncustodial parent for review of the director’s decision. The director shall be the sole respondent in the proceedings. A filing fee shall not be required for the filing of a petition pursuant to this section. Any such petition to the superior court shall be entitled to a preference in setting a date for hearing on the petition. A bond shall not be required in the case of any petition for review, nor in any appeal therefrom. The custodial or noncustodial parent shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, if the parent obtains a decision in their favor. (Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 115, Sec. 167. (AB 1817) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

custodial or noncustodial parentdirector’s final decisionpetitionsuperior courtreview of the entire proceedingsquestions of lawexclusive remedyreasonable attorney’s fees and costs

Related Statutes

  • § 17801 Child Support Complaint Appeals
  • § 7662 Father'S Rights Termination
  • § 7670 Fee Waiver For Petitions
  • § 9005 Stepparent Adoption Consent Withdrawal
  • § 3173 Custody Mediation Petition Process

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Family Code. Section 17803.
View Official Source