Part 2. Definitions of California Family Law Code >> Division 1. >> Part 2.
Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the
definitions and rules of construction in this part govern the
construction of this code.
"Child for whom support may be ordered" means a minor child and
a child for whom support is authorized under Section 3587, 3901, or
3910.
"Community estate" includes both community property and
quasi-community property.
"Community property" is property that is community property
under Part 2 (commencing with Section 760) of Division 4.
"County" includes city and county.
"Employee benefit plan" includes public and private retirement,
pension, annuity, savings, profit sharing, stock bonus, stock
option, thrift, vacation pay, and similar plans of deferred or fringe
benefit compensation, whether of the defined contribution or defined
benefit type whether or not such plan is qualified under the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-406)
(ERISA), as amended. The term also includes "employee benefit plan"
as defined in Section 3 of ERISA (29 U.S.C.A. Sec. 1002(3)).
"Family support" means an agreement between the parents, or an
order or judgment, that combines child support and spousal support
without designating the amount to be paid for child support and the
amount to be paid for spousal support.
"Income and expense declaration" means the form for an income
and expense declaration in family law matters adopted by the Judicial
Council.
"Judgment" and "order" include a decree, as appropriate under
the circumstances.
"Person" includes a natural person, firm, association,
organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited
liability company, or public entity.
"Proceeding" includes an action.
"Property" includes real and personal property and any
interest therein.
"Property declaration" means the form for a property
declaration in family law matters adopted by the Judicial Council.
"Quasi-community property" means all real or personal
property, wherever situated, acquired before or after the operative
date of this code in any of the following ways:
(a) By either spouse while domiciled elsewhere which would have
been community property if the spouse who acquired the property had
been domiciled in this state at the time of its acquisition.
(b) In exchange for real or personal property, wherever situated,
which would have been community property if the spouse who acquired
the property so exchanged had been domiciled in this state at the
time of its acquisition.
"Petitioner" includes plaintiff, where appropriate.
"Respondent" includes defendant, where appropriate.
"Separate property" is property that is separate property
under Part 2 (commencing with Section 760) of Division 4.
"Spousal support" means support of the spouse of the obligor.
"State" means a state of the United States, the District of
Columbia, or a commonwealth, territory, or insular possession subject
to the jurisdiction of the United States.
"Support" refers to a support obligation owing on behalf of a
child, spouse, or family, or an amount owing pursuant to Section
17402. It also includes past due support or arrearage when it exists.
"Support," when used with reference to a minor child or a child
described in Section 3901, includes maintenance and education.
"Support order" means a judgment or order of support in favor
of an obligee, whether temporary or final, or subject to
modification, termination, or remission, regardless of the kind of
action or proceeding in which it is entered. For the purposes of
Section 685.020 of the Code of Civil Procedure, only the initial
support order, whether temporary or final, whether or not the order
is contained in a judgment, shall be considered an installment
judgment. No support order or other order or notice issued, which
sets forth the amount of support owed for prior periods of time or
establishes a periodic payment to liquidate the support owed for
prior periods, shall be considered a money judgment for purposes of
subdivision (b) of Section 685.020 of the Code of Civil Procedure.