Child Support in Lafayette County, Florida

Child support cases in Lafayette County, Florida go through two separate paths. The Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program handles administrative establishment and enforcement. The Third Judicial Circuit family division, at the Lafayette County Courthouse in Mayo, handles anything filed as part of a court case. Lafayette County, centered on Mayo along the Suwannee River, is one of Florida's smallest counties by population. Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties sit in the same Third Judicial Circuit. They share one family court administration and mediation program instead of each county running its own.

The calculation behind a Florida support order does not change by county. Fla. Stat. 61.30 sets the income shares guideline, and Form 12.902(e), the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, is where that guideline gets calculated. To complete it, each parent files a Family Law Financial Affidavit: the short Form 12.902(b) if annual income is under $50,000, or the long Form 12.902(c) at or above that. The worksheet and both affidavits become part of the court record, whether the Department of Revenue or a parent started the case.

The clerk's website does not list a dissolution or support filing fee. Call the clerk's office to get the current figure before you file. You can file electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com, which covers every circuit including the Third, or in person at the clerk's office in Mayo. 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.

Lafayette County does not run its own self-help page on the clerk's site. The clerk's Family Law page points to Florida Supreme Court self-represented-litigant packets but links out to flcourts.gov instead of hosting the material directly. Free Florida Supreme Court-approved forms are available at flcourts.gov, and floridalawhelp.org offers general self-representation guidance. For non-court enforcement work, income withholding, license suspension, or locating a parent who has stopped paying, the Department of Revenue Child Support Program handles that administratively, separate from the clerk. Reach the program 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County, FL

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

Local notes for Lafayette County, FL

Lafayette County family law cases are filed at the Lafayette County Courthouse, 120 West Main Street, Mayo, FL 32066. The Third Circuit's public site doesn't say whether a general magistrate, a dedicated hearing officer, or a circuit judge hears child support matters here day to day. Ask the clerk's family law division which one applies before your hearing.

Florida circuits often require mediation before setting a contested support hearing, and some let parties appear by Zoom or phone instead of in person. Neither point is published for Lafayette County specifically, so confirm both with the clerk's office or the judicial assistant handling your case.

The agency's site does not list a physical Department of Revenue Child Support office for Lafayette County specifically. DOR now operates mostly by phone (850-488-KIDS) and through its eServices portal rather than local offices. File a Supplemental Petition for Modification of Child Support, Form 12.905(b), 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. Lafayette's clerk site is difficult to access with standard tools, so confirm any procedural details directly with the clerk's office rather than relying only on what's posted online.

Official child support resources in Lafayette County, FL

Lafayette County Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 120 West Main Street, Mayo 32066.

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

The self-help center can help with procedure and paperwork. The clerk's Family Law page references Florida Supreme Court self-represented-litigant packets but links out to flcourts.gov rather than hosting its own dedicated self-help page.

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

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

Lafayette County, FL Child Support FAQs