§ 2023 Direct Payment Of Obligations

Family Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law lets a court order one parent to pay certain bills directly to the creditor if it helps the other parent or their child.

Key Takeaways

•The court can make one parent pay bills (like daycare or medical bills) directly to the company or person owed.
•The company or person owed cannot force payment—they must wait for the court-ordered payments.
•This rule is only about who pays the bill, not about changing how much is owed.

Example

A mom owes money for her kid's daycare, but the dad is supposed to help pay for it.

The court can order the dad to pay the daycare directly instead of giving money to the mom first.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 2023 Direct Payment Of Obligations

(a) On a determination that payment of an obligation of a party would benefit either party or a child for whom support may be ordered, the court may order one of the parties to pay the obligation, or a portion thereof, directly to the creditor. (b) The creditor has no right to enforce the order made under this section, nor are the creditor’s rights affected by the determination made under this section. (Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 219, Sec. 104. Effective January 1, 1994.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

obligation creditor court order enforce

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Family Code. Section 2023.

Key Takeaways

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Related Statutes

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References