California Form FL-144 is the Stipulation and Waiver of Final Declaration of Disclosure, and you fill it out by checking the box that confirms both spouses voluntarily waive the final exchange of income and asset disclosures, signing under penalty of perjury, and filing it with the court before judgment. This single one-page Judicial Council form lets divorcing or legally separating couples skip the final round of paperwork required by Family Code §2105, but only after each side has already served a complete preliminary disclosure under Family Code §2104.
According to the California Courts Self-Help Center, more than 70% of California divorces end by default or uncontested judgment, and a properly executed FL-144 is one of the most common ways couples speed up that final step. Skipping or botching this form is a leading reason clerks reject judgment packets, which can delay a divorce by months and force you to pay another filing fee if the case gets dismissed for inactivity.
Here is what you will learn in this guide:
- 📝 How to complete every line, box, and signature block on FL-144 without errors.
- ⚖️ The exact statutes, like Family Code §2106, that control when a waiver is valid.
- 👥 Three named-person examples showing real divorces and how FL-144 works.
- 🚫 The seven most common mistakes that get FL-144 rejected by California clerks.
- ✅ A clear do’s and don’ts list, pros and cons, and 12 plain-English FAQs.
What Form FL-144 Is and Why It Exists
Form FL-144 is the official Judicial Council form titled Stipulation and Waiver of Final Declaration of Disclosure, and it is used in every California dissolution, legal separation, or nullity case where both spouses agree to skip the final disclosure step. The form is mandatory in content but optional in use, meaning you do not have to file it, but if you want to waive the final disclosure, you must use this exact form under California Rules of Court Rule 1.31. The waiver only applies to the final declaration of disclosure, never the preliminary one, because the preliminary disclosure under Family Code §2104 cannot be waived under any circumstance.
The form exists because the California Legislature wanted to balance two competing goals. The first goal is full financial transparency between spouses, which is why Family Code §2100 requires fiduciary-level disclosure during divorce. The second goal is judicial efficiency, because forcing every couple to repeat the same disclosure twice wastes time and money when nothing has changed.
A common misconception is that FL-144 waives all disclosure duties. It does not. You still must complete and serve a preliminary Schedule of Assets and Debts (FL-142) and an Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150) before you can sign FL-144. Skipping the preliminary disclosure makes any later waiver void, and the consequence is a judgment that can be set aside years later under Family Code §2107(d).
For example, imagine Maria and Carlos in San Diego who agree their divorce is simple and they want to finish quickly. They each serve FL-142 and FL-150 on the other side in March, then sign FL-144 in May, and file it with their judgment packet in June. That sequence is valid because the preliminary step came first, the waiver came second, and the judgment came third.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Each Line of FL-144
Filling out FL-144 looks simple because it is one page, but every line carries a legal consequence. The form has a caption, three numbered paragraphs of stipulations, and two signature blocks. Below is each section in plain English with the rules behind each choice.
Caption Block (Top of the Form)
The caption block sits at the top and asks for the attorney or party name, the court name, the parties, and the case number. You write the petitioner and respondent exactly as they appear on the Petition (FL-100), because any mismatch can cause the clerk to reject the filing under local court rules like Los Angeles Superior Court Local Rule 5.3. The case number must match the original filed petition number exactly, including any leading zeros or letter prefixes.
If you are self-represented, write In Pro Per in the attorney line and include your mailing address, phone number, and email. The consequence of leaving the address blank is that the court cannot mail you the conformed copy, and you may miss critical deadlines. A common misconception is that you can use a P.O. box without a street address, but California requires a physical address for service under Code of Civil Procedure §1013.
Paragraph 1: Mutual Waiver Statement
Paragraph 1 contains the core stipulation that both parties mutually waive the rights to the final declaration of disclosure under Family Code §2105. There is nothing to fill in here, but by signing the form, you are agreeing to every word in this paragraph. The plain-English meaning is that you accept whatever financial information you already have and will not demand a fresh disclosure before judgment.
The consequence of signing without understanding this paragraph is severe. If your spouse hid an asset and you waived the final disclosure, you may still have a remedy under Family Code §1101, but the waiver makes the case harder to reopen. A real-world example involves David in Sacramento who signed FL-144 without asking about his wife’s pending bonus, then learned six months later she had received a $40,000 commission. He had to file a motion to set aside under Family Code §2122, which took another year to resolve.
Paragraph 2: Required Representations
Paragraph 2 has six lettered subparts (a through f) that each party must initial or affirm by signing. These representations confirm that you have complied with the preliminary disclosure rules, exchanged current income information, completed all required schedules, fully augmented those schedules, fully disclosed material facts about community assets and liabilities, and entered the waiver knowingly and voluntarily.
Each subpart maps to a specific statute. Subpart (a) ties to Family Code §2104, subparts (b) through (e) trace to Family Code §2105(d), and subpart (f) reflects the voluntariness requirement of Family Code §2106. If any one of these representations is false, the entire waiver is voidable, and the judgment can be set aside.
A common misconception is that signing under duress still creates a valid waiver if you wrote your name. It does not. The California Court of Appeal in In re Marriage of Steiner (2004) confirmed that a waiver signed without true voluntariness is unenforceable.
Paragraph 3: Notice and Acknowledgment
Paragraph 3 is a notice block that warns each party about the seriousness of the waiver. It tells you that you have a continuing duty to update disclosures if material facts change before judgment, even after signing FL-144. This duty comes from Family Code §2102, which imposes a fiduciary duty until the assets are divided.
The consequence of ignoring paragraph 3 is fraud liability. If you sign FL-144, then win the lottery the next week, and fail to disclose the win, your spouse can later seek 100% of the undisclosed asset under Family Code §1101(h). For example, Jennifer in Orange County signed FL-144 in April, sold a rental property in May without telling her husband, and lost the entire net proceeds in a 2025 set-aside ruling.
Signature Block
Each party signs and dates the form, prints their name, and lists their attorney if represented. Signatures must be original ink or court-approved electronic signatures under California Rules of Court Rule 2.257. A digital photo of a signature pasted into a PDF is acceptable in most counties, but a typed name in cursive font is not.
The consequence of an invalid signature is rejection at the clerk’s window. A common mistake is signing the form on a Tuesday and dating it the previous Friday to match the spouse’s date. Backdating is perjury under Penal Code §118, and clerks are trained to spot it.
When and How to File FL-144
You file FL-144 with the same clerk’s office that holds your dissolution case, and you usually submit it as part of the judgment packet rather than as a standalone filing. The form has no filing fee because it is filed inside an existing case under the Statewide Civil Fee Schedule. You can file in person, by mail, or through the county’s electronic filing portal if your county requires e-filing for family law cases.
Timing matters. The form should be signed after both preliminary disclosures have been served and before the judgment is entered. Filing FL-144 too early, before the preliminary FL-142 and FL-150 are exchanged, makes the waiver premature and invalid. Filing it too late, after judgment, has no legal effect because there is nothing left to waive.
A real-world example involves Robert in Alameda County, who mailed his FL-144 along with Form FL-180 (Judgment), FL-170 (Declaration for Default), and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The clerk processed the packet in three weeks, and Robert received his Notice of Entry of Judgment without ever appearing in court. That is the streamlined path FL-144 was designed to support.
The consequence of filing FL-144 in the wrong county is that the judgment will not be entered, and your case may be dismissed for failure to prosecute under California Rules of Court Rule 3.650. Always confirm the venue with the original Petition (FL-100) and double-check the case number before mailing.
Three Common Scenarios with Real Outcomes
Below are the three most common situations where Californians use FL-144. Each scenario uses a 2-column table to show the action taken and the legal outcome that followed.
Scenario 1: Uncontested Divorce with Full Agreement
Aisha and Marcus in Santa Clara County agree on every issue and want a fast judgment.
| Action Taken | Legal Outcome |
|---|---|
| Both serve FL-142 and FL-150 in February | Preliminary disclosure complete under §2104 |
| Both sign FL-144 in April | Final disclosure waived under §2105 |
| Judgment packet filed in May | Judgment entered without hearing |
| Notice of Entry mailed in June | Six-month clock for termination of marital status begins |
This is the textbook use case. The couple saves time, money, and the stress of a second round of paperwork.
Scenario 2: Default with Written Agreement
Priya files for divorce, and her husband Tom does not respond within 30 days but later signs a written agreement.
| Action Taken | Legal Outcome |
|---|---|
| Priya serves preliminary disclosure | She satisfies her §2104 duty |
| Tom does not serve preliminary disclosure | Tom is in default but later cures by signing |
| Both sign FL-141 and FL-144 | Court treats case as default with agreement |
| Judgment entered using FL-170 | Marriage dissolved without trial |
This hybrid path is allowed under Family Code §2110, which lets a respondent in default still sign a stipulated judgment.
Scenario 3: Late-Stage Settlement After Litigation
Elena and James litigate for 14 months in Los Angeles, then settle on the courthouse steps.
| Action Taken | Legal Outcome |
|---|---|
| Both already exchanged preliminary and final FL-142 | Final disclosure technically complete |
| Counsel still files FL-144 belt-and-suspenders | Adds extra protection against set-aside motions |
| Settlement read into the record under CCP §664.6 | Judgment becomes enforceable |
| Judgment entered with FL-180 | Case closes, fees stop accruing |
Even when not strictly required, FL-144 acts as belt-and-suspenders insurance against later challenges to the disclosure record.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filing FL-144
Filing FL-144 looks easy, but seven specific mistakes account for most clerk rejections and later set-aside motions. Each mistake below is followed by the negative outcome it triggers.
- Signing FL-144 before serving the preliminary FL-142 and FL-150, which makes the waiver void and exposes the judgment to set-aside under Family Code §2107.
- Backdating signatures to align both parties on the same day, which is perjury under Penal Code §118 and grounds for sanctions.
- Using an outdated form revision pulled from a third-party site instead of the current Judicial Council version.
- Leaving the case number blank or transposing digits, which causes the clerk to reject the packet at intake.
- Filing FL-144 without the rest of the judgment packet, which leaves it sitting in the file with no legal effect.
- Trying to waive the preliminary disclosure using FL-144, which is impossible because Family Code §2104 prohibits any waiver of the preliminary step.
- Failing to update disclosures after a major change like an inheritance, which violates the continuing fiduciary duty under Family Code §2102.
- Forgetting to keep a signed original for your records, which leaves you without proof if the court loses the file.
- Allowing one spouse to sign without reading the form, which can void the waiver for lack of voluntariness under In re Marriage of Steiner.
Do’s and Don’ts of Filing FL-144
A clear list of do’s and don’ts helps both spouses avoid the most common pitfalls. Each item below explains the why behind the rule.
Do’s
- Do serve the preliminary FL-142 and FL-150 first, because the waiver is invalid without proof of preliminary disclosure.
- Do download the latest form from the Judicial Council website, because clerks reject obsolete revisions.
- Do read every line aloud before signing, because voluntariness is a legal element of a valid waiver.
- Do keep a conformed copy stamped by the clerk, because it proves filing if the original is lost.
- Do file FL-144 with the rest of the judgment packet, because a stand-alone FL-144 has no procedural effect.
- Do disclose any new asset that arises after signing, because the fiduciary duty under Family Code §2102 continues until the property is divided.
Don’ts
- Don’t sign blank or partially blank forms, because the spouse who fills in the rest controls the meaning.
- Don’t waive disclosure if you suspect hidden assets, because waiver makes set-aside harder under Family Code §2122.
- Don’t pressure a spouse to sign quickly, because duress destroys voluntariness and voids the waiver.
- Don’t rely on verbal agreements about disclosure, because Family Code §2105 requires a written, signed waiver.
- Don’t file FL-144 in a domestic violence restraining order case, because that is the wrong case type and the form will be rejected.
- Don’t assume FL-144 also waives the right to attorney’s fees, because fee waivers require a separate stipulation.
Pros and Cons of Using FL-144
Weighing the pros and cons helps you decide whether the waiver fits your situation. Each point includes the reasoning behind the trade-off.
Pros
- Saves weeks of paperwork because each side avoids preparing a duplicate FL-142 and FL-150 at the end of the case.
- Reduces attorney fees because counsel does not have to redraft and re-serve the final disclosure.
- Speeds up judgment entry because the clerk can process a complete packet in one pass.
- Simplifies cases with little change in finances because nothing material has shifted since the preliminary disclosure.
- Protects amicable couples from re-igniting tension because they avoid another round of detailed financial review.
Cons
- Increases the risk of missing a hidden asset because you trust the preliminary numbers without a fresh look.
- Limits your remedies because waiver narrows some grounds for set-aside under Family Code §2107(d).
- Requires complete trust in your spouse because there is no second checkpoint before judgment.
- Provides no protection against post-signing changes because new assets must still be disclosed under §2102.
- Offers no benefit in highly contested cases because the parties usually need fresh disclosures anyway.
Key Court Rulings That Shape FL-144
Several California appellate decisions explain how courts treat FL-144 waivers. In re Marriage of Steiner (2004) held that a waiver is unenforceable if signed under duress, even if the form looks complete. In re Marriage of Brewer & Federici (2001) established that the duty of disclosure is a fiduciary duty, not a mere procedural step, which means a defective FL-144 can support a fraud claim.
In re Marriage of Kieturakis (2006) confirmed that mediated settlement agreements are still subject to the disclosure requirements, so signing FL-144 inside a mediation does not erase the underlying duty. The consequence of these rulings is that even a properly filed FL-144 does not immunize a spouse who hid assets, and the judgment can still be reopened under Family Code §2122 for fraud, perjury, duress, mental incapacity, mistake, or failure to disclose.
A common misconception is that Steiner makes all waivers risky. It does not. Steiner targets coercive waivers, not voluntary ones, so a properly executed FL-144 between two informed spouses is fully enforceable.
Federal Rules That Touch FL-144 Cases
Although divorce is governed by state law, several federal rules can affect FL-144 cases. The Internal Revenue Code §1041 controls the tax treatment of property transfers between divorcing spouses, and incomplete disclosure can trigger unexpected tax bills. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) governs the division of retirement plans through Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, and a waiver of disclosure does not waive ERISA’s separate notice rules.
The Bankruptcy Code §523(a)(15) makes most divorce-related debts non-dischargeable, so signing FL-144 without a clear picture of debts can trap you with obligations you did not realize existed. A real-world example involves Kevin in Riverside who waived final disclosure, then learned in 2025 that his ex-wife’s $60,000 credit card debt was assigned to him in the judgment and could not be discharged in his later Chapter 7 filing.
The consequence of ignoring federal overlays is steep. Even a perfect FL-144 cannot fix a tax mistake under §1041 or rescue a debt allocation that violates §523(a)(15). The plain-English takeaway is that California law governs the form, but federal law governs many of the dollars on the other side of it.
County-Specific Nuances
California has 58 counties, and each one has minor variations in how FL-144 is processed. Los Angeles Superior Court requires e-filing for represented parties under Local Rule 3.4, but allows paper filing for self-represented litigants. San Francisco Superior Court requires a separate cover sheet for judgment packets, and rejects FL-144 if the cover sheet is missing.
San Diego Superior Court has a specialized Family Law Facilitator office that reviews self-represented FL-144 forms before filing, which catches errors that would otherwise cause rejection. Orange County Superior Court maintains a Self-Help Center with downloadable judgment packet checklists that include FL-144.
The consequence of ignoring local rules is rejection at intake, which delays your judgment by 30 to 60 days. A common misconception is that statewide forms override local procedures. They do not. Local rules govern how you file the form, even though state law governs what the form means.
How FL-144 Interacts with Other Forms
FL-144 never travels alone. It is always part of a larger judgment packet that includes FL-180 (Judgment), FL-190 (Notice of Entry), and either FL-170 (Default Declaration) or FL-130 (Appearance Stipulation). Some packets also include FL-141 (Declaration Regarding Service), which proves that preliminary disclosure was served.
The consequence of mismatched forms is rejection. If FL-144 says both parties waived final disclosure but FL-141 shows only one party served preliminary disclosure, the clerk will return the packet. A real-world example involves Sophia in Fresno County, who filed FL-144 with FL-180 but forgot FL-141. The clerk returned the entire packet two weeks later, and Sophia had to refile, pushing her judgment back a full month.
A common misconception is that FL-141 and FL-144 are interchangeable. They are not. FL-141 documents that disclosure happened, while FL-144 waives the final disclosure step.
FAQs
Is Form FL-144 mandatory in every California divorce?
No. FL-144 is only mandatory if both spouses want to waive the final declaration of disclosure. If you complete a final FL-142 and FL-150 instead, you do not need FL-144 at all.
Can I waive the preliminary declaration of disclosure with FL-144?
No. Family Code §2104 flatly prohibits waiver of the preliminary disclosure. FL-144 only waives the final disclosure under §2105.
Does signing FL-144 cost a filing fee?
No. There is no separate fee for FL-144 because it is filed inside an existing dissolution case that already paid the first-paper fee at the start.
Can FL-144 be signed electronically?
Yes. California Rules of Court Rule 2.257 authorizes electronic signatures, and most counties accept DocuSign-style signatures or scanned ink signatures on FL-144.
Will the court reject FL-144 if the dates do not match?
Yes. Clerks routinely reject the form if the signature dates are missing, illegible, or appear backdated, because date integrity is essential to the perjury declaration.
Can a spouse in default still sign FL-144?
Yes. Under Family Code §2110, a defaulted respondent who later signs a written agreement may also sign FL-144 to complete the judgment packet.
Does FL-144 protect me if my spouse hides assets?
No. Even a perfectly signed FL-144 does not shield a spouse who hides assets, because Family Code §1101(h) allows a 100% award of undisclosed property.
Is FL-144 used in domestic partnership dissolutions?
Yes. Registered domestic partners use the same family law forms, including FL-144, because Family Code §297.5 gives partners the same rights and duties as spouses.
Can I revoke FL-144 after I file it?
Yes. Before judgment is entered, either party can revoke the waiver by filing a written notice with the court. After judgment, revocation requires a set-aside motion under Family Code §2122.
Does FL-144 apply to legal separation cases?
Yes. Legal separation cases follow the same disclosure rules as dissolutions, so FL-144 is fully available under Family Code §2330.
Will my divorce be final the day I file FL-144?
No. Filing FL-144 only completes part of the judgment packet. Marital status terminates only after the six-month waiting period and the entry of judgment under Family Code §2339.
Can a non-attorney legal document assistant prepare FL-144 for me?
Yes. Registered legal document assistants under Business and Professions Code §6400 can prepare FL-144, but they cannot give legal advice about whether to sign it.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out California FL-180 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form FL-130 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form FL-141 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form FL-180 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form FL-190 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form FL-820 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form FL-120 (w/Examples) + FAQs