Child Support in Sumter County, Florida

Sumter County child support cases fall under the Fifth Judicial Circuit. You file them with the Clerk of Court at the Sumter County Judicial Center, 215 East McCollum Avenue in Bushnell. Most Sumter County residents live in The Villages, but Bushnell's courthouse is where family law cases, including child support, get filed and heard.

If parents were never married and no court case is open, they can start with the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program, which establishes paternity and a support order administratively. Once a Sumter County case exists, later changes go through the same file, using a Supplemental Petition for Modification of Child Support, Form 12.905(b).

As in every Florida county, the support figure comes from the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e). It's calculated under Fla. Stat. 61.30 from both parents' net income, overnights, health insurance, and child care costs. A judge can depart from the guideline number only for reasons the statute lists. Most Florida child support orders, this one included, also come with an Income Deduction Order under Fla. Stat. 61.1301, directing the paying parent's employer to withhold support directly from wages.

Sumter County's Self-Help Center, based at the Judicial Center in Bushnell, currently runs as a remote-only service. It reviews the Family Law Financial Affidavit (long form 12.902(b) for income of $50,000 or more, short form 12.902(c) below that) and other filings by phone or email before a hearing.

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 Sumter 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 Sumter County, FL

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

Local notes for Sumter County, FL

Sumter County's Self-Help Center is remote-only right now. For procedural help, call 352-569-6949 or email SumterFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org instead of visiting the Judicial Center in person. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a lunch closure from noon to 1:00 p.m.

Sumter County's dissolution filing fee is $397.50, the same lower figure published in neighboring Lake County, not the $408 common elsewhere in the Fifth Circuit. A fee waiver is available through an Affidavit of Insolvency, in addition to the standard Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.

The Florida Department of Revenue doesn't run a walk-in office in Sumter County. Administrative child support cases go through the statewide phone line, 850-488-KIDS, and the childsupport.floridarevenue.com portal.

Official child support resources in Sumter County, FL

Sumter County Judicial Center handles child-support filings, located at 215 East McCollum Avenue, Bushnell 33513. Phone: 352-569-6949.

The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide myflcourtaccess.com portal, also linked directly from sumterclerk.com; self-represented parties may still file on paper at the counter, and a fee waiver is available via an Affidavit of Insolvency.

Fifth Judicial Circuit Sumter County Self-Help Center (https://www.circuit5.org/self-help-center/sumter-county-self-help-center/) can help with procedure and paperwork. 215 E. McCollum Ave, Bushnell. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed noon to 1:00 p.m. Currently remote-only service, 352-569-6949 / SumterFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org. Provides procedural information and checklists; no legal advice.

• Sumter County Self-Help Center
• Fifth Judicial Circuit Administrative Orders
• Florida Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (Form 12.902(e))
• Florida DOR Child Support Program
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

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

Sumter County, FL Child Support FAQs