Child Support in Escambia County, Florida

Escambia County residents handling child support have two options. Apply through the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program for an administrative order, or ask the First Judicial Circuit's family division, based at the courthouse in Pensacola, to set support as part of a divorce, paternity, or parenting case. Escambia sits at the western tip of the Florida Panhandle around Pensacola, known for its naval aviation history, and is the most populous county in the First Circuit. Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties share that same First Judicial Circuit, with one family court administration and mediation program instead of separate systems for each county.

Florida uses one statewide child support formula: an income shares model under Florida Statute 61.30, calculated on Form 12.902(e), the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet. That worksheet draws its numbers from a Family Law Financial Affidavit, either the short Form 12.902(b) for anyone earning under $50,000 a year or the long Form 12.902(c) for $50,000 and up. Both parents typically file an affidavit, and the finished worksheet lands in the court file whether the Department of Revenue opened the case or a parent filed it directly.

The clerk's dissolution-of-marriage filing fee runs $408. A standalone child support petition filed without a divorce (Form 12.904) may cost something different, so check with the clerk before you pay. File electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com, which covers every circuit including the First, or in person at the clerk's office in Pensacola. A parent who cannot afford the fee can ask the clerk to waive it with an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status under Fla. Stat. 57.082.

The Escambia Clerk Family Law Forms page (https://escambiaclerk.com/189/Family-Law-Forms) is the fastest way to find forms and instructions. The Family Law Division sits on the 2nd floor of the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building; the mailing address is PO Box 333, Pensacola FL 32591-0333. Clerk staff cannot give legal advice. For enforcement work outside court, income withholding, license suspension, or tracking down a parent who stopped paying, the Department of Revenue Child Support Program handles that administratively, separate from the clerk. Reach it at 850-488-KIDS (5437) or through childsupport.floridarevenue.com.

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 Escambia 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 Escambia County, FL

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

Local notes for Escambia County, FL

The M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building at 190 W Government St, Pensacola, FL 32502 handles family law filings for Escambia County. The First Circuit's public site does not specify who hears child support matters day to day, whether a general magistrate, a dedicated hearing officer, or a circuit judge. Ask the clerk's family law division which one applies before you show up for a hearing.

Before a contested support hearing gets set, Florida circuits frequently require mediation, and some allow appearing by Zoom or phone instead of in person. Neither detail is published for Escambia County specifically, so confirm both with the clerk's office or the judicial assistant handling the case.

The agency's site does not list a physical Department of Revenue Child Support office for Escambia County. DOR now runs mostly by phone (850-488-KIDS) and through its eServices portal rather than local storefronts. A Supplemental Petition for Modification of Child Support, Form 12.905(b), goes in the same county where the original order was entered, not automatically wherever a parent later moves. Modification generally requires a substantial change in circumstances under Fla. Stat. 61.30.

Official child support resources in Escambia County, FL

M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building handles child-support filings, located at 190 W Government St, Pensacola 32502.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; covers all circuits and case types including family law.

Escambia Clerk Family Law Forms (https://escambiaclerk.com/189/Family-Law-Forms) can help with procedure and paperwork. Family Law Division, 2nd floor of the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building; mailing address PO Box 333, Pensacola FL 32591-0333. Clerk staff cannot give legal advice.

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida DOR Child Support Program
• Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet
• Florida DOR Child Support - Contact
• FloridaLawHelp.org

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

Escambia County, FL Child Support FAQs