California Financial Disclosures: FL-140, FL-142, FL-150 Guide

California requires both spouses to exchange detailed financial information during a divorce. This is called the Declaration of Disclosure process, and it is mandatory — even in uncontested divorces where both parties agree on everything.

Why Are Financial Disclosures Required?

California is a community property state. That means most assets and debts acquired during the marriage are owned equally by both spouses. To divide property fairly, both parties need a complete picture of the marital finances.

The disclosure requirement exists to:

• Prevent one spouse from hiding assets or debts
• Ensure both spouses make informed decisions about settlement terms
• Protect the validity of the final judgment

A divorce judgment can be set aside later if a court finds that one spouse failed to disclose material assets or debts.

Preliminary vs. Final Disclosures

California requires two rounds of disclosure:

Preliminary Declaration of Disclosure

Must be served on the other spouse within 60 days of filing the Petition (or within 60 days of filing the Response). This is the first and most important round.

Final Declaration of Disclosure

Served before or at the time of entering a settlement agreement. However, both spouses can waive the final disclosure by completing form FL-144 (Stipulation and Waiver of Final Declaration of Disclosure). This waiver is common in uncontested divorces where both spouses are already satisfied with the information exchanged.

Note: The preliminary disclosure cannot be waived. It is always required.

The Three Key Forms

FL-140: Declaration of Disclosure

This is the cover sheet for your financial disclosures. It lists the documents you are serving on your spouse and confirms that you are making a complete disclosure.

The FL-140 itself is brief — it's essentially a checklist that accompanies the more detailed forms below.

Important: The FL-140 and its attachments are served on your spouse but are not filed with the court. The court does not see your financial details. Only the FL-141 (confirming service was completed) is filed with the court.

FL-142: Schedule of Assets and Debts

This form lists everything you own and everything you owe. For each item, you indicate whether it is:

• Community property (acquired during the marriage)
• Separate property (owned before marriage, or received as a gift or inheritance)

Categories include:

| Category | Examples | |----------|----------| | Real property | Home, rental property, vacant land | | Bank accounts | Checking, savings, money market | | Investments | Stocks, bonds, mutual funds | | Retirement | 401(k), IRA, pension, deferred compensation | | Vehicles | Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats | | Personal property | Jewelry, furniture, electronics | | Business interests | Ownership in any business | | Insurance | Life insurance with cash value | | Debts | Credit cards, loans, mortgages, student loans |

For each item, you provide the current fair market value (for assets) or current balance (for debts) and the date of valuation.

For a detailed, category-by-category walkthrough, see our FL-142 deep-dive guide.

FL-150: Income and Expense Declaration

This form details your financial situation on a monthly basis:

Income section:

• Gross monthly income from employment (attach your two most recent pay stubs)
• Income from self-employment, rental property, investments, or other sources
• Tax filing status and deductions

Expense section:

• Housing costs (rent/mortgage, property tax, insurance)
• Food and household supplies
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Insurance premiums
• Child care
• Education costs
• Personal expenses

Other information:

• Assets you currently have (cash, bank accounts)
• Existing support obligations
• Attorney fees incurred

The FL-150 is used by the court to calculate child support (using California's guideline formula) and to evaluate requests for spousal support.

For a section-by-section walkthrough and the 10 most common mistakes, see our FL-150 guide.

FL-141: Declaration Regarding Service of Declaration of Disclosure

After you serve your financial disclosures on your spouse, you file FL-141 with the court. This form confirms that:

• You served your preliminary disclosures
• You served your final disclosures (or that both parties waived final disclosures)

The court will not enter a final judgment until both spouses have filed their FL-141. Learn why this form is the most commonly forgotten — and how to avoid that mistake — in our FL-141 guide.

For a full list of forms you'll need, see our California divorce forms guide. Filing procedures vary by county — find your county's court information for local details.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not disclosing everything. Even assets you consider "yours" (like a retirement account from before the marriage) should be listed as separate property. Failure to disclose can result in the judgment being set aside.

2. Using outdated values. Asset values should be as current as possible. Use recent statements, not estimates from years ago.

3. Forgetting to attach pay stubs. The FL-150 requires your two most recent pay stubs. Missing pay stubs can cause delays.

4. Filing disclosures with the court. The FL-140, FL-142, and FL-150 are served on your spouse — they are not filed with the court (with limited exceptions). Only the FL-141 is filed.

5. Skipping disclosures in an uncontested divorce. Even if you and your spouse agree on everything, preliminary disclosures are mandatory under California law.

How MutualFile Helps

MutualFile walks you through the disclosure process step by step. Our guided interview helps you identify and document your assets, debts, income, and expenses, then generates the correct forms. Both spouses can complete their disclosures on the platform.

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Financial disclosure requirements can be complex — if you have significant assets or debts, consider consulting a licensed attorney.