Child Support in Leon County, Florida

To set up, change, or enforce child support in Leon County, Florida, start a case through the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program, or file directly with the Tallahassee clerk's office if support is already part of an open divorce, paternity, or custody case in the Second Judicial Circuit. Leon is home to the state capital, Tallahassee, and two major public universities, making it the population and government center of the Second Circuit. Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty and Wakulla sit in the same Second Judicial Circuit, sharing one family court administration and mediation program rather than each county running its own.

Every county in Florida calculates child support the same way: an income shares formula set out in Fla. Stat. 61.30, applied through Form 12.902(e), the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet. The inputs come from a Family Law Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) if either parent earns under $50,000 a year or Form 12.902(c) if they earn more. Whether the Department of Revenue opened the case administratively or a parent filed it in circuit court, both affidavits and the worksheet end up in the file.

Expect a dissolution filing fee around $397.50. A Form 12.904 petition for support alone, outside a divorce, may carry its own separate fee; check with the clerk, since that fee isn't listed here. 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 Tallahassee. 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 clerk's Leon Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center page (https://leonclerk.com/divisions/self-help-center/) is the fastest way in for forms and instructions. It's run in partnership with the Tallahassee Bar Association and offers family law self-help assistance (excluding restraining orders), attorney consultations, and downloadable or purchasable form packets. For non-court enforcement work, income withholding, license suspension, or tracking down a parent who has 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 Leon 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 Leon County, FL

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

Local notes for Leon County, FL

Leon County family law cases are filed at the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Because the Second Circuit does not post its child support referral order publicly, Leon County parents should call ahead and ask the clerk whether a magistrate, hearing officer, or judge will handle their case.

Before a contested support hearing gets set, Florida circuits frequently require mediation, and some allow appearing by Zoom or phone instead of in person. Leon County parents should confirm both points with the clerk's office or the judicial assistant handling the case, since neither is published for this county specifically.

The Department of Revenue's own site no longer lists a dedicated office address for Leon County, so parents there should plan on reaching the program by phone (850-488-KIDS) or online rather than in person. 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 Leon County, FL

Leon County Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee 32301.

The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; covers all circuits and case types including family law.

Leon Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center (https://leonclerk.com/divisions/self-help-center/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Run in partnership with the Tallahassee Bar Association; offers family law self-help assistance (excluding restraining orders), attorney consultations, and downloadable or purchasable form packets.

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida DOR Child Support Program
• Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet
• Leon County Clerk of Court
• Leon Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center

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

Leon County, FL Child Support FAQs