Updated July 2026
Child Support in Hillsborough County, Florida
A plain-language guide to child support in Hillsborough County, FL, from Florida's statewide guideline formula to the forms you file at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County and how to prepare your paperwork without hiring an attorney.
Hillsborough County hears child support cases at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa. The 13th Judicial Circuit lists seven hearing officers for domestic relations and child support matters: Charles Denton, Joseph Frank, Sabrina Frey, Chardean Hill, Nancy Lawler, Chris Phillips, and Lila Stello. Cases go to one of them through the circuit's general magistrate referral assignment system.
Most new cases start with the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program, not a filing at the Edgecomb Courthouse. Once a parent applies by phone or through the state's online portal, DOR handles establishing paternity, setting the support amount, and enforcement. A hearing on that case then goes to one of the circuit's hearing officers.
Hillsborough runs two Family Forms Clinics for parents representing themselves, staffed by Bay Area Legal Services volunteer attorneys and law students. One meets at the Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa on Wednesdays and Fridays; a second meets at the Plant City Courthouse, on the county's eastern side, on Tuesdays. Both clinics help parents fill out the correct forms, but the volunteers stick to paperwork. They don't represent anyone in court or advise on case strategy.
To modify an order, a parent files a Supplemental Petition to Modify, Form 12.905(b), and shows a substantial change in circumstances since the last order. Once a court orders support, the Florida State Disbursement Unit collects and disburses the payments, not the Hillsborough Clerk directly.
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 Hillsborough County, FL as everywhere else. The guideline combines:
- Both parents' net incomes, combined into one child support obligation.
- 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 Hillsborough County, FL
Child support in Hillsborough County, FL is handled through the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough 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:
- A parent requests support inside a dissolution, paternity, or existing family case by motion, with a Financial Affidavit.
- 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 Hillsborough County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)
Local notes for Hillsborough County, FL
The Family Forms Clinic at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, is walk-in only, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call ahead at (813) 864-2280, option 2. The volunteer attorneys and law students there help self-represented parents get the paperwork right; they don't give legal advice.
Parents on the eastern side of Hillsborough County, around Plant City, have their own weekly clinic at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 2085, Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It can save a trip into downtown Tampa just to get help with forms.
Hillsborough's hearing officer directory lists seven names but doesn't label which docket each one carries. A parent with an upcoming hearing should confirm the assigned officer and hearing type directly with the clerk's family division, or the court's public information line at (813) 272-5894, instead of guessing from the general list.
Official child support resources in Hillsborough County, FL
George E. Edgecomb Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa 33602. Phone: (813) 864-2280. Plant City Courthouse at 301 N. Michigan Ave., Room 2085 handles Hosts a weekly Family Forms Clinic (Tuesdays 10am to 2pm) for eastern Hillsborough County residents.
E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Most documents are filed through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; certain filings must still be submitted on paper directly to the Clerk. Self-represented parents may use the portal or file on paper.
13th Circuit Family Law Self-Help Programs (https://www.fljud13.org/Resources/Self-Help/Family-Law-Self-Help-Programs) can help with procedure and paperwork. Family Forms Clinic, run by Bay Area Legal Services, at George Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, Tampa, Wednesdays and Fridays 10am to 2pm, walk-in only, (813) 864-2280 option 2. A second clinic runs at Plant City Courthouse Tuesdays 10am to 2pm. Volunteer attorneys and law students help complete court-approved forms but cannot give legal advice or represent anyone in court.
- 13th Circuit Family Law Self-Help Programs
- 13th Circuit Hearing Officers
- Hillsborough County Clerk of Court
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
- Form 12.905(b), Supplemental Petition to Modify Child Support
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
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Hillsborough County, FL Child Support FAQs
Where do I file for child support in Hillsborough County?
If the Department of Revenue is opening your case, apply by phone at 850-488-KIDS (5437) or online. If your child support issue is tied to your own divorce or paternity case, file at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, in Tampa.
Who hears child support cases in Hillsborough County?
The 13th Judicial Circuit lists seven hearing officers who handle domestic relations and child support: Charles Denton, Joseph Frank, Sabrina Frey, Chardean Hill, Nancy Lawler, Chris Phillips, and Lila Stello. To find out which one is assigned to a specific case, call the clerk's family division or the court's public information line.
Where can I get help with child support forms in Hillsborough County?
The Family Forms Clinic at the Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa runs Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., walk-in only. A second clinic at the Plant City Courthouse runs Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bay Area Legal Services volunteers staff both; they help fill out forms but can't give legal advice.
How do I modify a child support order in Hillsborough County?
File a Supplemental Petition to Modify, Form 12.905(b), showing a substantial change in circumstances since the last order, such as a significant income change. DOR-administered cases may also qualify for the agency's own periodic administrative review.
What forms do I need for a Hillsborough County child support case?
Every case needs the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e), and a Family Law Financial Affidavit: Form 12.902(b) if your income is under $50,000 a year, or Form 12.902(c) if it's at or above that. Both are calculated under Florida Statute 61.30.
How are child support payments collected in Hillsborough County?
Payments go through the Florida State Disbursement Unit, not the Hillsborough Clerk. Pay electronically, by card through Smart ePay, in cash at a Walmart MoneyCenter, or by mail, and check your payment history through DOR eServices or PayKidz.
This page is general information about Florida child support procedure in Hillsborough County, FL, not legal advice for your situation. Court locations, agency offices, and filing details change; always confirm current details with the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County or the official Florida family court self-help program resources. Virdix is not a law firm and is not a substitute for an attorney.
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