Child Support in Duval County, Florida

If you need to establish, change, or enforce child support in Duval County, Florida, the case goes through the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Filings are made at the Duval County Courthouse, 501 West Adams Street, in downtown Jacksonville. Duval County and the City of Jacksonville share a consolidated government, so most residents just say Jacksonville, but the family court and clerk operate as Duval County's circuit court.

There are two starting points. If a parent was never married to the other parent and no case is open, the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program can open an administrative case to establish paternity and a support order without a courthouse lawsuit. If a Duval County case already exists, changes go through that same case using a Supplemental Petition for Modification of Child Support, Form 12.905(b).

Every number in a Duval County child support order traces back to the same statewide formula: the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e), calculated under Florida Statute 61.30 from both parents' net income, overnights, health insurance, and child care costs. A judge can depart from the guideline amount only for reasons the statute specifically allows. Most Florida child support orders, including this one, also come with an Income Deduction Order under Fla. Stat. 61.1301, which directs the paying parent's employer to withhold support directly from wages.

Both parents typically also file a Family Law Financial Affidavit before a hearing: the long form 12.902(b) if gross annual income is $50,000 or more, or the short form 12.902(c) below that. Fourth Circuit Family Court Services, which covers Duval along with Clay and Nassau, asks self-represented litigants to check in with a case manager first so the paperwork lands in the right file.

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 Duval 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 Duval County, FL

Child support in Duval County, FL is handled through the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Duval 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 Duval County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

Local notes for Duval County, FL

Duval County is the hub of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, so its Family Court Services staff and self-help resources at jud4.org also serve Clay and Nassau counties, not just Jacksonville residents. The intake process is the same everywhere: a case manager reviews your situation before your forms are accepted, rather than a clerk simply date-stamping whatever you bring in.

Jacksonville is a major metro area, so the Duval Clerk handles a high volume of family law filings. Self-represented parties should treat the standard statewide dissolution-related fee ($409, per the clerk's schedule) as the closest published benchmark for a child-support-related filing. A support-specific case may carry a different line-item fee, so confirm the exact amount with the Clerk's civil/family division before you file.

The Florida Department of Revenue's Child Support Program no longer lists a walk-in Jacksonville office on its website. Administrative child support matters for Duval residents go through the statewide phone line, 850-488-KIDS, and the online eServices portal, rather than an in-person DOR counter downtown.

Official child support resources in Duval County, FL

Duval County Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 501 West Adams Street, Jacksonville 32202.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) is the statewide portal; Duval's Clerk also accepts paper filings in person at the Duval County Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville.

Fourth Judicial Circuit Family Court Services Self-Help Program (https://www.jud4.org/family-court-services/self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork. Serves Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties out of Jacksonville; self-represented parties are directed to a case manager before filing.

• Fourth Judicial Circuit Family Court Services Self-Help
• Fourth Judicial Circuit Child Support page
• Florida Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (Form 12.902(e))
• Florida DOR Child Support Program
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

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

Duval County, FL Child Support FAQs