Child Support in Franklin County, Florida

Franklin County sets child support with the same statewide formula used everywhere else in Florida. Where you file, and who handles the paperwork, depends on one thing: whether the Department of Revenue already has your case, or you file directly with the Apalachicola clerk of court. Franklin sits along Apalachicola Bay, a small coastal county built around oystering and commercial seafood. The Second Judicial Circuit also covers Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla, so its family court administration and mediation program serve all six counties, not just Franklin.

The guideline formula stays the same no matter which Florida county handles the case: the statewide income shares model from Fla. Stat. 61.30, worked through Form 12.902(e), the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet. Each parent backs up that worksheet with a Family Law Financial Affidavit: Form 12.902(b), the short version, for income under $50,000 a year, or Form 12.902(c), the long version, for income at $50,000 or more. These forms go into the file whether the case starts with the Department of Revenue or with a parent's own filing.

The clerk's site does not list a current filing fee, so Franklin County filers should call ahead and confirm the exact dollar amount before they show up. Filings can go in electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com, which covers every circuit including the Second, or in person at the clerk's office in Apalachicola. 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.

Start at the clerk's Franklin Clerk Family Law page (https://www.franklinclerk.com/courts/family-law/) for local forms and steps. It describes the dissolution process and points self-represented litigants to Florida Supreme Court-approved forms; self-help packets are available for purchase at the Clerk's Civil Division. Enforcement steps like income withholding, license suspension, or locating a non-paying parent go through the Department of Revenue Child Support Program, not the clerk's office. Call 850-488-KIDS (5437) or use the eServices portal at 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, FL

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

Local notes for Franklin County, FL

The Franklin County Courthouse at 33 Market Street, Suite 203, Apalachicola, FL 32320 handles family law filings for the county. Child support cases generally go to a magistrate or hearing officer first, with a judge finalizing the order, but the exact current assignment for the Second Circuit isn't posted online. Call the clerk's office to confirm it.

Florida circuits commonly order mediation before setting a contested child support hearing, and many allow remote appearance by Zoom or phone at the judge's discretion. Franklin County has no published local policy on this, so ask the clerk or the assigned judicial assistant which rules apply.

DOR doesn't publish a current office directory by county, so there's no way to confirm a Franklin-specific location. Use the statewide intake line at 850-488-KIDS or sign up through childsupport.floridarevenue.com instead of looking for a local branch. A Supplemental Petition for Modification of Child Support, Form 12.905(b), goes in the same county where the original order was entered, not wherever a parent later moves; modification generally requires a substantial change in circumstances under Fla. Stat. 61.30. Franklin's clerk site was mid-migration to a new template when this was checked, and its Civil Division sells self-help packets over the counter at the Apalachicola courthouse rather than posting every form online. Apalachicola Bay's oyster-industry economy keeps the office small.

Official child support resources in Franklin County, FL

Franklin County Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 33 Market Street, Suite 203, Apalachicola 32320.

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

Franklin Clerk Family Law page (https://www.franklinclerk.com/courts/family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Describes the dissolution process and directs self-represented litigants to Florida Supreme Court-approved forms; self-help packets are purchasable at the Clerk's Civil Division.

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida DOR Child Support Program
• Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet
• Franklin County Clerk of Court
• Franklin Clerk Family Law page

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

Franklin County, FL Child Support FAQs