California Court Records

California dissolutions are Superior Court cases kept by the clerk of the county's superior court. Court records are presumed open under rule 2.550(c), and the family law file holds the petition with its property lists, any Income and Expense Declaration, FL-150, filed when support or fees are at issue, requests for order and declarations describing finances, the Judgment, FL-180, with its property division and any attached marital settlement agreement, support orders and lodged qualified domestic relations orders. The Declaration of Disclosure, FL-140, and the Schedule of Assets and Debts, FL-142, are served on the other spouse and are not filed unless the court orders it.

Each superior court runs its own case index, and rule 2.503(c) bars public remote access to family law records, so the documents are viewed on a courthouse terminal or in the paper file and copied at the clerk's counter. Sealing requires a motion and express findings of an overriding interest under rules 2.550 and 2.551, and Family Code 2024.6 covers pleadings that list financial assets and liabilities and give their location or identifying information. The California asset search page explains what the FL-150 and the judgment show.

These federal and national sources complement California's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when California state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.

PACER, Public Access to Court Electronic Records
The U.S. federal judiciary's unified electronic records system. Every federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate case docket is here.
https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ (pacer.uscourts.gov) U.S. Courts, Federal Court Finder
The official directory of every federal district, bankruptcy, and circuit court. Use it to identify the correct California district(s) before searching PACER.
https://www.uscourts.gov/federal-court-finder (uscourts.gov) National Center for State Courts
The NCSC's directory of state court websites, technology standards, and public-access policies.
https://www.ncsc.org/information-and-resources/browse-by-state (ncsc.org)  Frequently Asked Questions California Court Records, FAQ  Last reviewed: April 2026  Updated: October 2026