They are five different tools, not five names for the same hearing. An RFO (Request for Order) asks a family court to decide specified relief. A DVRO (domestic violence restraining order) seeks protection from qualifying abuse. An ex parte request seeks expedited relief or a shortened-notice hearing under specific rules. A status conference manages a case. A stipulation records an agreement that may become enforceable through its language, signatures, filing, and court adoption. Choosing the wrong label can produce the wrong forms, notice, and expectations.

The quick comparison

Term	What it is	Typical question it answers	What it is not
RFO	A request asking the family court for an order	“Who has temporary parenting time?” “Should support or fees be ordered?”	Not itself a court order
DVRO	A protective-order case based on domestic-violence allegations	“What protections are needed from abuse?”	Not an ordinary divorce disagreement or an ATRO
Ex parte request	An expedited request or shortened-notice procedure	“Is waiting for ordinary notice likely to cause immediate harm?”	Not automatic relief or a no-notice shortcut
Status conference	A case-management court event	“What remains, and what should happen next?”	Not automatically a trial
Stipulation	An agreement about some or all disputed terms	“Can the parties resolve this issue by agreement?”	Not every draft or conversation is a filed order

What is an RFO?

An RFO asks the court to issue a particular order in an existing family-law case. It may address temporary custody or parenting time, child or spousal support, attorney fees, property control, or another remedy authorized in the case. The moving party should identify the precise order requested and support it with facts, declarations, and exhibits that address the governing standard.

The usual Judicial Council form is FL-300 Request for Order. The form is a request, not a ruling. Filing FL-300 does not mean the judge has granted anything. The requesting party must follow the current instructions for filing, notice, service, response, and hearing materials. A responding party should read every requested order, note the response deadline, and submit evidence addressing the specific facts rather than relying on a general denial.

Example: One parent wants a temporary weekday schedule while the case continues. That is ordinarily a temporary-relief question for an RFO. If the facts also involve threats or abuse, the safety issue may require a separate DVRO analysis rather than simply adding alarming language to an ordinary custody request.

What is a DVRO?

A DVRO is a domestic violence restraining order proceeding. It seeks protective orders based on allegations of abuse and may request personal-conduct, stay-away, residence, firearm, child-custody, or other protections depending on the facts and the court’s order. The Judicial Council’s DVRO forms and instructions control the starting paperwork.

A DVRO is not a stronger version of an RFO. It has a safety-focused process and requires a factual description of conduct, dates, effects, and requested protection. A person in immediate danger should prioritize emergency safety and official resources. A person served with DVRO papers should read every temporary order, comply with it unless changed by the court, and prepare for the hearing. Do not violate an order because you believe the allegations are false.

An ATRO is different. The automatic temporary restraining orders printed with a dissolution summons apply to specified financial and personal conduct during the divorce; they are not a DVRO and do not substitute for one. See what an ATRO prohibits.

What is an ex parte request?

An ex parte request asks for expedited relief or a hearing on shortened notice because waiting for the ordinary process may cause immediate harm, loss, or another serious problem. California family-law rules address the requested relief, notice, declarations, and the reason ordinary notice is inadequate. California Rules of Court rule 5.151 and the court’s current emergency-procedure rules and instructions should be checked before filing.

“Ex parte” does not necessarily mean the other party receives no notice. The filing should explain:

the immediate harm or event;
the specific temporary order sought;
the facts and exhibits supporting urgency;
the notice given, when and how it was given; and
why ordinary notice is not adequate or possible.

Urgency alone does not guarantee a hearing or order. The judge may deny emergency relief, set a regular hearing, require more notice, or grant only part of the request. A missed parenting exchange, an inconvenient date, or ordinary disagreement generally needs an ordinary process unless the facts show a legally recognized emergency.

What is a status conference?

A status conference is a court event for managing the case. Depending on the court and case, the judge may address missing pleadings or disclosures, discovery, mediation, settlement, readiness, scheduling, trial planning, or the next decision needed. It is not automatically a trial, and a judge need not decide every disputed issue at it.

Prepare a one-page case map: current orders, served papers, completed disclosures, unresolved issues, discovery status, settlement discussions, upcoming dates, and the decision you need from the court. Bring the filed pleadings and orders the notice requires. Afterward, read the minute order and calendar every deadline. A hallway conversation or an oral comment is not a substitute for the written order.

What is a stipulation?

A stipulation is an agreement between parties or their attorneys. It can resolve one issue or an entire case. Its effect depends on the wording, the parties’ authority, signatures or in-court agreement, filing, and whether the court adopts it as an order or judgment. A signed agreement may still require a proposed order or additional judgment papers before it changes what the court can enforce.

An effective stipulation should state:

who is bound and which case it concerns;
the exact conduct, payment, schedule, or transfer required;
when it starts, ends, or can be changed;
which issues are resolved and which remain open;
how taxes, releases, fees, enforcement, and future disputes are handled; and
whether the parties ask the court to adopt it as an order or judgment.

Do not treat a draft, email chain, text message, or oral understanding as a permanent court order without confirming its legal effect. Do not sign language you do not understand merely because a hearing is approaching.

Which process fits the problem?

Use the facts and requested result—not the emotional intensity of the dispute—to choose:

Immediate physical safety or abuse: seek emergency safety help and evaluate the DVRO process.
Temporary support, custody, parenting time, fees, or another disputed order: prepare an RFO.
Immediate harm before ordinary notice: ask whether an ex parte request satisfies the current emergency rule.
Readiness, scheduling, missing steps, or settlement management: prepare for the status conference.
A genuine agreement: reduce the terms to a clear stipulation and obtain the required filing or court adoption.

More than one tool may be involved. For example, a parent may use an RFO for temporary custody while separately seeking a DVRO based on abuse. A status conference may follow an RFO. A stipulation may resolve an RFO and be entered as an order. None of those events automatically changes a judgment or dissolves a marriage.

Before filing, serving, or agreeing

Identify the exact order, protection, case-management decision, or agreement sought.
Check the current form and rule, including local hearing and service instructions.
Put facts in chronological order and attach only relevant, identifiable evidence.
Explain notice and any emergency reason instead of using “urgent” as a conclusion.
Read existing orders, including a DVRO or ATRO, before proposing conflicting terms.
Preserve filed copies, proof of service, hearing notices, and minute orders.
Calendar the response, hearing, disclosure, and follow-up dates.

The broader forms and case milestones guide can help locate documents, but it does not replace the instructions for an RFO, DVRO, or emergency request.

Common questions

Is an RFO a court order?

No. It is a request asking the court to issue an order. The filed request does not itself grant the relief.

Does ex parte mean the other side gets no notice?

Not necessarily. Notice and exceptions are governed by current rules and the facts. Explain what notice was given and why shortened notice is requested.

Is a DVRO the same as an ATRO?

No. A DVRO seeks protection from domestic violence through a separate protective-order process. An ATRO is an automatic restraint associated with a dissolution summons.

Is a stipulation always final?

No. Read its terms and confirm signatures, filing, and court adoption. A partial agreement may leave important issues unresolved.

Do I have to attend a status conference?

Do not assume it is optional. Follow the notice or order and ask the court about any approved appearance alternative before the date.

What is an RFO, DVRO, ex parte request, status conference or stipulation?