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FL-540Mandatory

Joint Application for Recognition of Tribal Court Order Dividing Retirement Plan or Other Deferred Compensation

California · Judicial Council of California · Effective January 1, 2023

This form is used to ask the court to officially recognize an order from a tribal court. The order deals with dividing retirement plans or other money benefits for things like child support or spousal support.

Open the official PDFfrom Judicial Council of California

Where this fits in a case

Start a case

Stage: Start a case

This form is used when two people who are involved in a tribal court case need the state court to recognize an order from that tribal court regarding shared retirement money.

Either party may file.

Common questions

Who fills out this form?
The form requires signatures from Applicant One, Applicant Two, and any attorneys involved.
What must be attached to this form?
You must attach a certified copy of the tribal court order.
What does recognizing the order do?
This application asks the court to recognize the order, but it does not give the state court the power to change or enforce the original tribal court order.

Revision history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 9, 2026. The current version took effect January 1, 2023.

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