Child Support in Polk County, Florida

Polk County is the home base for the Tenth Judicial Circuit's child support system. All four of the circuit's Title IV-D hearing officers, who also cover Hardee and Highlands counties, sit in Bartow. Polk is the only county in the circuit where a parent's hearing officer works locally instead of being reached by phone or video from another county.

Christine Daly, Donald Frenette, Kymberly Clements, and Patrick Vincent handle Department of Revenue cases referred to the circuit. Reach all four through the shared Bartow line at (863) 534-5831. A Polk parent with a DOR-opened case is more likely than one in Hardee or Highlands to get an in-person hearing rather than a remote one, though the circuit's virtual appearance policy still applies when a hearing is set up that way.

Parents whose child support question is tied to their own divorce or paternity filing go before a family law magistrate instead, such as Jennifer L. Steimle or Robin M. Matis-Jackson. Both paths calculate support using the same statewide worksheet and financial affidavit.

To modify an order, file a Supplemental Petition to Modify, Form 12.905(b), and show a substantial change in circumstances. The Polk Clerk's Self-Help Center, with locations in Bartow and at the Northeast office, sells matching packets and offers TurboCourt for online preparation.

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 Polk 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 Polk County, FL

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

Local notes for Polk County, FL

Some Polk family law hearings have been shifting from the Bartow courthouse to the Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred. The clerk's own self-help page flags this directly, so check the location printed on your specific hearing notice instead of assuming Bartow.

The Polk Clerk's Self-Help Center operates Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., phone (863) 534-4015. It covers dissolution, paternity, name changes, and civil contempt and enforcement, the category that includes most child support enforcement paperwork for a parent who is owed support and not receiving it.

Because Polk hosts the circuit's hearing officers directly, questions about which specific officer, Daly, Frenette, Clements, or Vincent, is assigned to a case are best directed to the shared scheduling line at (863) 534-5831. Don't try to guess from a case number alone.

Official child support resources in Polk County, FL

Polk County Courthouse handles child-support filings, located at 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow 33830. Phone: (863) 534-5831. Northeast Government Center at Lake Alfred handles Some family law hearings have been moving here from the Bartow courthouse; confirm the hearing location shown on your notice.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. The Polk Clerk also offers TurboCourt, an interactive tool for preparing dissolution and other family law forms. Some family law hearings are moving to the Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred rather than the Bartow courthouse; confirm hearing location per case notice.

Polk County Clerk Self-Help Center (https://www.polkclerkfl.gov/272/Self-Help-Center-DRAFT/1000) can help with procedure and paperwork. Covers dissolution, paternity, name changes, and civil contempt/enforcement, which includes child support enforcement paperwork. Self-Help Program phone (863) 534-4015, staffed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; packets purchasable at the Bartow and Northeast office locations. Staff cannot give legal advice. Virtual Appearance Policy (Rules for Virtual Appearances at DRD-Child Support Hearings, Tenth Judicial Circuit) applies; see https://www.jud10.flcourts.org/sites/default/files/docs/VirtualAppearancePolicy_DRD-Child_Support_Hearings_HearingOfficers.pdf.

• Tenth Circuit Magistrates and Hearing Officers
• Polk County Clerk Self-Help Center
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Virtual Appearance Policy, DRD Child Support Hearings
• Florida Child Support Program Payments

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

Polk County, FL Child Support FAQs