Parents are usually surprised by that last part. At the Law Office of Katie Walsh, I raise it early, because these orders are far easier to shape at disposition than to undo later.

What Money Can a Juvenile Court Order in 2026?

A juvenile court can order restitution to a victim, and that is now essentially the whole list. AB 1376 removed the court’s authority to impose a fine of up to $250 or to order uncompensated work, and the code separately bars a court from imposing an additional restitution fine on a ward.

Restitution itself is required. The court must order full restitution unless it finds compelling and extraordinary reasons not to and states them on the record. It covers the replacement or repair cost of property, medical expenses, and wages lost by a victim, including wages a parent loses caring for an injured child.

Are Parents Responsible for a Child’s Restitution?

Parents are presumed responsible for a child’s restitution. A parent or guardian with joint or sole legal and physical custody is rebuttably presumed jointly and severally liable, up to the limits set in the Civil Code.

There are two ways to rebut it. One is inability to pay, where the court may weigh your income, earning capacity, dependents and necessary obligations like rent, food and medical bills. The other is notice: if you were not told you could be liable before the petition was sustained, or you were not present at those proceedings, that is a separate ground. You carry the burden on both. The presumption does not apply to foster parents. It is one of several ways parents face consequences for a teen’s conduct.

Can the Amount Be Challenged?

The amount can be challenged, and your child has a right to a hearing before a judge to dispute it. The court can also modify an amount later on its own motion or on a request from either side.

One point matters enormously when several teenagers were involved. Each minor is severally liable, not jointly and severally as co-offenders, and the court apportions the amount by each one’s share of responsibility. Your child should not be carrying someone else’s share. That fight belongs at a restitution hearing.

What Happens If the Restitution Cannot Be Paid?

Probation cannot be revoked simply because restitution went unpaid. A court has to find that the failure was willful, or that your child did not make a real effort to earn the money.

The obligation does not disappear, though. Whatever remains unpaid when probation ends stays enforceable by the victim as a civil judgment.

Ask an Orange County Juvenile Defense Lawyer Before You Pay Anything

If a number has been put in front of you, find out what it actually is before you write a check. Call my office at (714) 351-0178 or contact us online for a free consultation. As an Orange County juvenile defense lawyer, I will tell you what is owed and what can be contested.