Child Support in DeSoto County, Florida

DeSoto County child support cases have their own local Department of Revenue office at 10 South DeSoto Avenue in Arcadia, separate from the courthouse. Few counties in this part of the state have their own DOR street address; most rely only on the statewide phone line.

The 12th Judicial Circuit covers DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Its family division page notes that the Attorney General's Office represents the Department of Revenue in DeSoto child support cases, establishing, enforcing, or modifying support on the state's behalf. These attorneys represent DOR only, not either parent, even the parent owed support.

Hearings on DeSoto cases go through the circuit's family division. It lists hearing officers and general magistrates as the officials who handle child support and related matters. The DeSoto County Courthouse's family desk can confirm which official is assigned to a specific case.

Every case, whether opened by DOR or filed privately as part of a divorce or paternity action, uses the same statewide guidelines worksheet and financial affidavit to calculate the support amount. Modifying an existing order means filing a Supplemental Petition to Modify.

How child support is calculated in Florida

Florida sets child support with a statewide income shares guideline (Fla. Stat. 61.30) that applies the same way in DeSoto County, FL as everywhere else. The guideline combines:

1. Both parents' net incomes, combined into one child support obligation.
2. The number of overnights each parent has with the child (the time-sharing schedule).

The guideline result is presumed correct, and the parties complete a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet along with a Financial Affidavit (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c)) so the court can calculate the amount.

Where child support cases are handled in DeSoto County, FL

Child support in DeSoto County, FL is handled through the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, DeSoto County, and, for enforcement and establishment cases that do not involve a private attorney, the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program, which can open a case at no cost to the parents. There are two common paths:

1. A parent requests support inside a dissolution, paternity, or existing family case by motion, with a Financial Affidavit.
2. The Department of Revenue Child Support Program opens an administrative or court case to establish, collect, and enforce support.

Because courthouse and local agency office details change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:

Find the DeSoto County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

Local notes for DeSoto County, FL

DeSoto's local DOR Child Support Office at 10 South DeSoto Avenue, Suite D, is a separate stop from the DeSoto County Courthouse at 115 East Oak Street. A parent handling paperwork with DOR directly and a parent filing a private motion with the clerk end up at two different addresses in Arcadia.

The Attorney General's Office, not clerk-employed attorneys, represents DOR in DeSoto cases. Correspondence and hearing notices tied to a DOR-established or DOR-enforced order may come from AGO rather than the clerk's office. Keep any letters you receive along with your own payment records.

The DeSoto Clerk's family law self-help packets are the starting point for a parent filing privately rather than through DOR. Clerk staff cannot give legal advice, but they can point a parent toward the correct packet and explain how the filing process works.

DeSoto is one of the smaller counties in the 12th Circuit. Its single courthouse handles the full range of family law matters, from dissolution to paternity to child support enforcement. A parent here does not need to figure out which of several buildings applies, the way a parent in a larger county like Sarasota might.

Official child support resources in DeSoto County, FL

DeSoto County Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 115 East Oak Street, Room 101, Arcadia 34266. Phone: (863) 993-4876.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; self-represented parties may also file on paper at the Clerk's office.

DeSoto Clerk Family Law Self-Help (https://www.desotoclerk.com/court/family/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Family law self-help packets available through the Clerk's Office. The Clerk cannot give legal advice and recommends consulting an attorney if unsure about self-representation.

• 12th Circuit Child Support
• DeSoto County Clerk Family Law
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Form 12.905(b), Supplemental Petition to Modify Child Support
• Florida Child Support Program Payments

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

DeSoto County, FL Child Support FAQs