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Portal is down for maintenance

(This does not affect Jury Portal)

Todays Hearings, Probate Notes and Case Information is currently unavailable from our public portal, if you are a registered user you can access the secure portal at https://odyprodportal.kern.courts.ca.gov/portalprod

Families and Children

Self-Help Information for Families and Children

The Superior Court of Kern County offers free help to the public. We help with a variety of basic legal issues and types of cases, including family law.  We help people who need legal information but don't have a lawyer. 

Our staff don't give legal advice (we can tell you how to do something but we can't tell you what choice you should make) and we may refer you to a private attorney or another resource depending on your situation.

Self Help Center

The Self Help Center can provide assistance and information for the preparation of:

  • Petitions for Guardianship of the Person, clearing of Guardianship notes
  • Petitions for Dissolution, Establish Parentage, Custody and Visitation
  • Requests for Orders (Child Custody, Visitation, Child Support*)
  • Default Dissolution, legal separation and Nullity

The Self Help Center is currently closed to in person services, however assistance can still be obtained via telephone by calling 661-610-6518 or by email

The Self Help Center’s hours of operation are
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Families & Children Information & Resources

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