Child Support in Lee County, Florida

Lee County child support cases are filed and heard at the Lee County Justice Center in Fort Myers. The courthouse sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry counties.

Most new cases start with the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program, not a courthouse filing. A parent applies by phone or online, and DOR establishes paternity, sets the support amount, and pursues enforcement. A hearing on that case then goes before one of the circuit's general magistrates or hearing officers.

The 20th Circuit keeps one shared roster of magistrates and hearing officers for all five counties instead of a Lee-specific list. A parent with an upcoming hearing should confirm which official is assigned to their case with the clerk's family filing desk at the Justice Center.

Every case, whether DOR opened it or a parent filed it privately, uses the same statewide guidelines worksheet and financial affidavit to calculate support. Modifying an order means filing a Supplemental Petition to Modify, Form 12.905(b), and showing a substantial change in circumstances.

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 Lee 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 Lee County, FL

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

Local notes for Lee County, FL

The clerk's website, leeclerk.org, returned an access error on every automated check for this guide, so call the clerk's family division at the Lee County Justice Center directly, or visit the site yourself, to confirm current self-help hours and any Lee-specific packet fees before you go.

A Self-Help Center on the first floor of the Justice Center reportedly offers free virtual legal consultations through Lee County Legal Aid, notary services, and public access computers. If still accurate, that makes it one of the more service-rich self-help locations in the 20th Circuit; confirm current services with the clerk before relying on them.

Lee County shares its magistrate and hearing officer roster with Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry counties. Confirm your specific hearing assignment directly with the Lee Clerk's family filing desk rather than guessing from the shared list.

Lee is the largest county in the 20th Circuit by population. The circuit publishes a Lee-specific court schedule page listing dockets by division, worth checking before your hearing date since many courtrooms run out of the Justice Center on any given day.

Official child support resources in Lee County, FL

Lee County Justice Center handles child-support filings, located at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers 33901.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; TurboCourt is available for form preparation as an optional paid service.

Lee County Justice Center Self-Help Center can help with procedure and paperwork. leeclerk.org returned an access error to every automated check made for this guide, so the clerk's own self-help center page could not be independently verified or linked. Prior research describes a Self-Help Center on the 1st floor of the Lee County Justice Center offering free virtual legal consultations through Lee County Legal Aid, notary services, and public access computers; confirm current hours directly with the clerk. Court Schedule (Lee County Court Schedules, 20th Judicial Circuit) applies; see https://www.ca.cjis20.org/About-The-Court/Court-Schedules/leeschedules.aspx.

• 20th Circuit Judges / Magistrates
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Form 12.905(b), Supplemental Petition to Modify Child Support
• Florida Child Support Program Payments
• Florida Statute 61.30, Child Support Guidelines

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

Lee County, FL Child Support FAQs