--- title: "Temporary vs. Permanent Child Support in California Divorces" description: "Child support in California is crucial. It guarantees that children get the money they need from their parents no matter how life changes. This applies to situations like divorce to parents who were never married." url: https://thecompletedivorce.com/temporay-vs-permanent-child-support-in-a-ca-divorce/ date: 2023-03-15 modified: 2026-06-03 author: "Dina Haddad" image: https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/When-does-Child-support-start-1.jpg categories: ["Child support"] type: post lang: en --- # Temporary vs. Permanent Child Support in California Divorces Contents Online Divorce Divorce smartly without a lawyer. Save yourself $10,000+. [ Start My Divorce ](https://buy.stripe.com/bJe8wO4Inbryg8y2Ar3ZK01) - 100% Legit Divorce Program # When Does Child Support Start in a CA Divorce? Dina Haddad Founder & Attorney Mediator [ Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thecompletedivorce/) [ Linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinahaddad/) [ X-twitter ](https://twitter.com/MediatorDina) [ Youtube ](https://www.youtube.com/@divorcewithdina) [ Tiktok ](https://www.tiktok.com/@divorcewithdina) I’m Dina Haddad, a family law attorney-mediator in California. I’m so tired of couples not having a process that’s easy to complete their divorce. They are getting lost, wasting time and money, and beyond frustrated with their results.That’s why I created [The Complete Divorce](https://thecompletedivorce.com/). I took my successful mediation practice and condensed it into an affordable and winning program. ![](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Dina-Haddad-1.webp) [ View Profile ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/about-us/) Child support in California is crucial. It guarantees that children get the money they need from their parents no matter how life changes. This applies to situations like divorce to parents who were never married. Most of the time, people come across two different kinds: temporary and permanent child support. Modernizing California Divorce Complete your divorce without a lawyer. Move forward with peace of mind and avoid court rejections through our fully-assisted DIY divorce program. This program is founded and led by California divorce expert, Dina. - Court-approved forms - Divorce Portal - Expert Webinars - 24/7/365 Support - The MSA - Parenting Plan $49.99/mo No hidden fee. Cancel anytime. [ Start Divorce ](https://buy.stripe.com/bJe8wO4Inbryg8y2Ar3ZK01) ![](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-icon.png)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2000+ California couples divorced. ## Temporary vs. Permanent You can receive child support once you’ve filed for divorce, and before you finish your divorce. Child support paid before you divorce is called temporary child support. You may need temporary child support because you are unable to financially support your children by yourself while you are divorcing. Most parents do not know about the process like how Child support starts, [Book a Strategy call](https://calendly.com/ffmediation/thecompletedivorce?month=2024-12) if you are looking for an experienced divorce attorney at an affordable rate. You can receive temporary child support by filing a request with the family court. The judge will hear your case and decide if child support should be ordered. Unless an exception applies, which I’ll discuss further on, the judge will order guideline child support. Your other option is to reach an agreement with your spouse for temporary child support. Detailed instructions on how to file a request for child support, or to file your temporary child support agreement are in “**Obtaining Temporary Orders**.” Some couples choose not to have temporary child support. This is common with couples doing their own divorce and still supporting each other financially as they did when married. If this is your situation, it is still a good idea to have something in writing, signed between you, saying this is your current arrangement in lieu of temporary child support. ![Child Support in California - Temporary child support.](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/When-does-Child-support-start-1.jpg) When you finish your divorce, temporary child support ends and permanent child support starts. Permanent does not mean forever, only that it is paid after the divorce is final. The permanent child support goes into your final agreement. Just like temporary child support, permanent child support is a guideline and will be the same as the temporary amount unless your income or custodial time changes, you did not have all the income information available, or you and your spouse agree to a different amount. Whether you are preparing a temporary or permanent child support agreement, include a date for when that child support starts. This might be immediately or the time you stop sharing the joint account or depositing your salaries into that account. But the soonest it can start is when you filed for divorce. At [The Complete Divorce](https://thecompletedivorce.com/), we provide you with what you need to successfully do your California divorce on your own. We provide all the required family law court forms in our automated forms program, all the video tutorials, and an automated customizable Marital Settlement Agreement (Divorce Agreement). If you need more help, you can get our package that includes time with a divorce mediator. Before you go, consider if we can help you. We have helped thousands of couples in California. Our guided DIY divorce is successful and cheap! Our services are all 5-star! California premier divorce program. Making California divorce simple and lawyer-free. - Filing & Review Support - 1-on-1 Divorce Meeting - Child support calculations - MSA Filing Support ![](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/google-icon.png)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2000+ divorced without a lawyer.  [ Start Divorce ](https://buy.stripe.com/bJe8wO4Inbryg8y2Ar3ZK01) You may also be interested in [![Divorce mediation in California](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/What-is-Divorce-Mediation.jpg)](https://thecompletedivorce.com/divorce-mediation-in-a-california/) [ What is Divorce Mediation in a California? ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/divorce-mediation-in-a-california/) In mediation, you and your spouse work with a mediator [ Read more » ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/divorce-mediation-in-a-california/) Dina Haddad March 16, 2023 [![Separate Property in a California Divorce - Property Division](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/dividing-separate-property-in-a-CA-divorce.jpg)](https://thecompletedivorce.com/how-to-prove-your-separate-property-in-a-california-divorce/) [ Unveiling the Secrets: How to Prove Your Separate Property in a California Divorce ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/how-to-prove-your-separate-property-in-a-california-divorce/) Community and Separate Property in a California divorce can pose [ Read more » ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/how-to-prove-your-separate-property-in-a-california-divorce/) Dina Haddad March 15, 2023 [![Uncontested Vs Contested Divorce](https://thecompletedivorce.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Uncontested-Vs-Contested-Divorce.webp)](https://thecompletedivorce.com/contested-vs-uncontested-divorce-california/) [ Uncontested vs Contested Divorce: Which one is Right in 2026? ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/contested-vs-uncontested-divorce-california/) Learn the difference between uncontested and contested divorce in California, [ Read more » ](https://thecompletedivorce.com/contested-vs-uncontested-divorce-california/) Dina Haddad May 18, 2026 « Previous Page1 [Page2](https://thecompletedivorce.com/temporay-vs-permanent-child-support-in-a-ca-divorce.md/page/2/) [Page3](https://thecompletedivorce.com/temporay-vs-permanent-child-support-in-a-ca-divorce.md/page/3/) [Page4](https://thecompletedivorce.com/temporay-vs-permanent-child-support-in-a-ca-divorce.md/page/4/) [Page5](https://thecompletedivorce.com/temporay-vs-permanent-child-support-in-a-ca-divorce.md/page/5/) [Next »](https://thecompletedivorce.com/temporay-vs-permanent-child-support-in-a-ca-divorce.md/page/2/)