California Family Code Statutory History

Family Code: Many of the current Family Code provisions enacted in 1992 are derived from former Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, Evidence Code, Probate Code, and Welfare and Institutions Codes statutes, some of which dated back to the 1872 codification and other states’ laws, such as New York. The 1992 Family Code reorganized the major family law statutes to resolve procedural and technical inconsistencies in existing law, without substantive changes to the former laws. Whenever you are reviewing the legislative history of any Family Code statute, look for the earlier laws where your language of interest may have been originally adopted.

Legislative Research: Each section listed below is a link to a PDF document that sets forth the enactment history for that section. The history cited for each section below is intended to be used for information purposes only and should not be relied upon without confirmation. For questions or sections not listed, Contact Us.

Family Code Sections

Section 4: Derived from former Probate Code § 3, enacted in 1988.

Sections 240 through 246: Derived from former uncodified § 118, enacted in 1850 (based on New Yor Code § 220).

Section 271: Derived from former Civil Code § 4370.6, enacted in 1990.

Section 291: Derived from former Civil Code §§ 4383 and 4384, enacted in 1982.

Section 306: Derived from former Civil Code § 68, enacted in 1872.

Section 420: Derived from former California Constitution Article XI, § 12, adopted in 1849.

Section 721: Derived from former Civil Code § 158, added by original 1872 California Codification.

Section 852: Derived from former Civil Code § 5110.730, added in 1984.

Section 915: Derived from former Civil Code § 5120.150, enacted in 1984.

Section 920: Derived from former Civil Code § 5120.210, enacted in 1984.

Section 1100: Derived from former uncodified § 9, enacted in 1850.

Section 1101: Derived from former Civil Code § 5125.1, enacted in 1986.

Section 1615: Derived from former Civil Code § 5315, added in 1985.

Section 1617: Derived from former Civil Code § 5317, enacted in 1985.

Section 2030: Derived from former Civil Code § 137, enacted in 1872.

Section 2032: Derived from former Civil Code § 4370.5, enacted in 1985.

Section 2033: Derived from former Civil Code § 4372, enacted in 1992.

Section 2034: Derived from former Civil Code § 4373, enacted in 1992.

Section 2040: Derived from former Code of Civil Procedure § 412.21, enacted in 1989.

Section 2050: Derived from former Civil Code § 4366(a), enacted in 1990.

Section 2051: Derived from former Civil Code § 4366(b), enacted in 1990.

Section 2100Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.10(a), enacted in 1992.

Section 2102: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.10(b), enacted in 1992.

Section 2103: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.10(c), enacted in 1992.

Section 2104: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.10(c)(1), enacted in 1992.

Section 2105: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.10(c)(2), enacted in 1992.

Section 2108: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.10(g), enacted in 1992.

Section 2120 – 2129: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.11, enacted in 1992.

Section 2122: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.11, enacted in 1992.

Section 2124: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.11(f), enacted in 1992.

Section 2320: Derived from former uncodified § 3, enacted in 1851.

Section 2337: Derived from former Civil Code § 4515, enacted in 1988.

Section 2339: Derived from former Civil Code § 132, enacted in 1903.

Section 2581: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.1, enacted in 1983.

Section 2625: Derived from former uncodified § 12, enacted in 1850.

Section 2640: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.2, enacted in 1983.

Section 3011Derived from former Civil Code §4608, enacted in 1982.

Sections 3026, 3027.1 and 3190: Derived in part from former Civil Code § 4609, enacted in 1985.

Section 3041Derived from former Civil Code § 138, enacted in 1905.

Section 3041.5: Added to the Family Code in 2004.

Section 3042: Derived from former Civil Code § 138, enacted in 1872.

Section 3044: Added in 1999.

Section 3062: Derived from former Civil Code § 4600.1, enacted in 1976.

Section 3086: Derived from former Civil Code § 4600.5, enacted in 1979.

Section 3100: Derived from former Civil Code § 4601, enacted in 1969.

Section 3110.5: Added in 1999, and amended four times thereafter.

Section 3420: Derived from former Civil Code § 5168, enacted in 1973.

Section 3807: Derived from former Civil Code § 4800.7, enacted in 1984.

Section 4001: Derived from former Civil Code § 137, enacted in 1872.

Section 4009: Derived from former Civil Code § 139, enacted in 1872.

Section 4053: Derived from former Civil Code § 4720.1, enacted in 1990.

Section 4057: Derived from former Civil Code § 4721, enacted in 1984.

Section 4057.5: Added in 1993 and amended in 1994.

Section 4058: Derived from former Civil Code §§ 4720.2 and 4721, and former Family Code § 4058.

Section 4062(b)(1): Derived from former Civil Code § 4720.2, enacted in 1991.

Section 4302: Derived from former Civil Code § 174 and Field’s Draft New York Civil Code § 85, enacted in 1872.

Section 4303: Derived from former Civil Code § 248, enacted in 1955.

Section 4323: Derived from former Civil Code § 4801.5, enacted in 1974.

Section 4325: Enacted in 2001.

Section 4334: Derived from former Civil Code § 137, enacted in 1872.

Section 4336: Derived from former Civil Code § 139, enacted by the 1872 codification of the Civil Code.

Section 4360: Derived from former Civil Code § 4801.4, enacted in 1984.

Section 4502: Derived from former Family Code § 4502, enacted in 1992.

Section 5220: Derived from former Civil Code § 4390, enacted in 1989.

Section 5700.201: Derived from former Code of Civil Procedure § 7007, enacted in 1975.

Sections 6203, 6300 and 6341: Derived from former Code of Civil Procedure §§ 542(a), 545 and 547(b), enacted in 1979.

Section 6211: Derived from former Civil Code § 7020, enacted in 1979.

Section 6308: Added in 2021 and amended in 2022.

Section 6320: Derived from former Civil Code § 4359, enacted in 1970.

Section 6321: Derived from former Civil Code § 5102, enacted in 1969.

Section 6340: Derived from former Civil Code §§ 157, 5102, and 720, former Code of Civil Procedures § 546, and former Family code §§ 2036.5, 5750, 5751, 7720, and 7721.

Section 6342: Derived from former Civil Code § 7020, enacted in 1979.

Section 6701: Derived from former Civil Code § 33, enacted in 1872.

Section 6710: Derived from former Civil Code § 35, enacted in 1872.

Section 6753: Derived from former Civil Code § 36.2, enacted in 1939.

Section 7120: Derived from former Civil Code § 64, enacted in 1978.

Section 7500: Derived from former Civil Code § 197, enacted in 1872.

Section 7611: Derived from former uncodified § 9, enacted in 1870.

Section 7613: Derived from former Civil Code § 216, enacted in 1969.

Section 7620: Derived from former Civil Code § 7007, enacted in 1975.

Section 7630: Derived from former Civil Code § 231, enacted in 1921.

Section 7643: Derived from former Civil Code § 7014, enacted in 1975.