Child Support in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Miami-Dade County handles child support differently than the rest of Florida. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office runs its own Child Support Unit instead of using the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program. It's the only office of its kind in the state. Parents here file for support, respond to a support case, or check on an existing order through this office, not the statewide Department of Revenue phone line.

The unit operates three locations: the main office at 601 NW 1st Court, 12th Floor, in Miami; the Joseph Caleb Center at 5400 NW 22nd Avenue, Suite 101; and the South Dade Government Center at 10710 SW 211th Street, Room 1903, in Cutler Bay. Its main phone line is (305) 530-2600. That's different from the 850-488-KIDS number that reaches the Department of Revenue in the rest of Florida.

Once a case needs a judge's signature, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit's family division hears it. Family law filings, including support petitions and motions, go through the Family Division at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center in downtown Miami. Residents in the southern part of the county can use the South Dade Justice Center in Cutler Bay instead. File electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com, or bring documents in person to either location.

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit's Family Court Self-Help Program has helped self-represented parents complete paperwork for a new support order or a modification since 1994. It charges a fee for that help and cannot give legal advice or predict how a case will turn out.

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 Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County, FL

Child support in Miami-Dade County, FL is handled through the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

Local notes for Miami-Dade County, FL

Miami-Dade's intake process looks different from most Florida counties because it runs its own child support office. Parents applying for services, submitting income information, or asking the State Attorney's office to review a case should expect paperwork requests from that office directly, not from the Department of Revenue's eServices portal. The eServices site still shows case status and payment history for Miami-Dade cases, though.

For a modification, the Family Court Self-Help Program at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center or the South Dade Justice Center charges an $85 service fee to review and help assemble the packet. Full completion assistance costs an optional $125, and copies and postage run about $20. The clerk's filing fee for the petition is separate from these self-help charges. Reduced or waived self-help fees are available with proof of financial hardship, and a full court fee waiver runs through the standard Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.

Call the clerk or the State Attorney's Child Support Unit to confirm whether a general magistrate or a dedicated hearing officer will hear your support matter. That assignment isn't listed on the county's public pages.

Official child support resources in Miami-Dade County, FL

Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center handles child-support filings, located at 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami 33128. South Dade Justice Center at 10710 SW 211th Street, Room 1400 handles Family Court Self-Help Program services and some family filings for southern Miami-Dade.

The filing fee is $409. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; self-represented parties may also file in person at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center or the South Dade Justice Center.

Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Court Self-Help Program (https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/Family-Court-Self-Help-Program) can help with procedure and paperwork. Operating since 1994. Charges an $85 service fee for intake and packet review on a modification case, an optional $125 fee for full completion assistance, and about $20 for copies and postage; reduced or waived fees available with proof of financial hardship. Family Court Self-Help Program (Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Court Self-Help Program) applies; see https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/Family-Court-Self-Help-Program.

• Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Child Support Unit
• Eleventh Circuit Family Court Self-Help Program
• Florida DOR Child Support Program
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Form 12.902(e) Child Support Guidelines Worksheet

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

Miami-Dade County, FL Child Support FAQs