FW-001 asks the court to waive court fees and costs. It identifies the person requesting relief and the reason for the request. The signature declares that the information and attachments are true under penalty of perjury.
When it is used
At the start of a case, or later
The California Courts self-help guide says a request can accompany the first papers that require a fee, or be made later. The court records its decision on FW-003. Guardianship, conservatorship and appellate fee-waiver requests have different instructions.
Section by section
What each part asks
Use the current official form and its instructions. The descriptions below identify the questions without choosing answers for your situation.
Page 1 · The request
Court and case boxes
Court name and address, case name and number.
1–3 · People and employment
Your contact information, job and employer, and lawyer if you have one. Item 3 also asks about a lawyer advancing costs.
4 · Which court
The court whose fees or costs are involved.
5 · Reason for the request
Public benefits, household income below the printed chart, or insufficient income for basic needs and court fees.
6 · Earlier request
A fee-waiver request in this case during the last six months.
Declaration
Date, printed name and signature.
Page 2 · Financial information
When this page applies
The instructions distinguish item 5a, item 5b and item 5c. Item 5b calls for 7–9; item 5c calls for the entire page.
7–9 · Income
Changing income, monthly income sources and household members’ income.
10–11 · Property and expenses
Money, accounts, property, monthly expenses and totals.
Additional information
Space for an attachment with further financial information.
Before you file
Common filing problems to check
These checks come from the official form and instructions. They are not a ranking of rejection reasons; the court decides whether a filing meets its requirements.
Missing date or signature on the declaration.
The financial sections required by the selected item 5 option are incomplete.
Missing FW-003 information: the official self-help instructions also call for item 1 on the order.
A court or case detail is missing or inconsistent; a new case may not yet have a case number.
E-file it
How to e-file FW-001 with Legal Hub Group
Legal Hub Group is a certified e-filing service provider for California courts. Availability depends on the live court, case type, document type and whether the case is new or existing.
1
Confirm the court
Check the current court and case-type list. A court must support the particular filing; this guide does not make every form available in every county.
2
Upload and check
Upload the finished papers and their attachments. Lexary checks them for common filing problems. Review the documents and the results before continuing.
3
Review the filing and fees
Confirm the case, document types and payment choice. Review every fee shown before submitting. A fee-waiver request is subject to the court’s decision.
4
Submit and track the answer
The court reviews the filing. Keep the court’s acceptance and returned copy, or read its rejection notice before deciding what to do next.
Fee-waiver filings carry a $0 Legal Hub Group fee. The court decides whether to grant the waiver; fees owed by another party can still apply.
E-service is included free where available. No subscription. E-filing and service of opening papers are separate requirements.
CCP 1010.6(e)(6) requires the court, electronic filing service provider and electronic filing manager to waive their fees for a party or attorney granted a qualifying court fee waiver. Subdivision (g)(2) also addresses provider fee waivers. California Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)(5), directs mandatory e-filing fees to comply with that statute. See the official rule and statute links below.
No. FW-001 is the request. The clerk or judge records the decision on FW-003.
Does everyone complete page 2?
No. The form’s instructions depend on the item 5 option. The self-help guide says 5a does not call for page 2, 5b calls for items 7–9, and 5c calls for all of page 2.
What if the request is incomplete or denied?
Read the returned FW-003 promptly. Its checked boxes explain the reason, any hearing and the deadline to act. The court’s self-help center can explain the process.
Can Lexary decide whether I qualify?
No. Lexary checks for common filing problems. Only the court decides the fee-waiver request; a document check is not legal advice.
Not legal advice. This page explains public filing information. It does not tell you what to put in your own case. Legal Hub Group is a certified e-filing service provider for California courts, not a law firm.
Information checked as of October 2026. Rules, form revisions and provider prices can change. The court decides whether to accept a filing.
