Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Bradford County, Florida

A Bradford County custody case begins with a petition filed at the Bradford County Clerk of Court. From there, a Family Division judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit handles parental responsibility and time-sharing decisions. The courthouse for Bradford County family law matters is the Bradford County Courthouse, 945 N. Temple Ave, Starke, FL 32091. Families across the county, including in Hampton, use this same courthouse.

Florida law no longer uses the word custody. Fla. Stat. 61.13 replaced it with two concepts: parental responsibility, covering major decisions like schooling and medical care, and time-sharing, covering the actual calendar. Most families use the standard Form 12.995(a). A safety-focused version, Form 12.995(b), applies where abuse or substance issues limit contact. A long-distance version, Form 12.995(c), fits parents who live far apart.

Fla. Stat. 61.21 requires both parents to complete a parenting course through a DCF-approved provider before a judge will sign a final judgment involving minor children. Form 12.902(d), the UCCJEA affidavit, must go in with any custody petition; it lists the child's residence history so the court can confirm it has the right state and circuit to decide the case. Expect a mediation referral before a contested time-sharing hearing happens. Fla. Stat. 61.183 authorizes it, and most circuits treat it as a standard step.

Documents go through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. Attorneys must use it, but a self-represented parent can still hand paperwork to the clerk in person. If you're handling the case yourself, the Eighth Judicial Circuit's family self-help program (https://circuit8.org/self-help/) can walk through the required forms and check your packet before it's filed. Staff there cannot offer legal advice.

Where custody cases are heard in Bradford County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Bradford County, FL are handled by the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Bradford County, with the county seat in Starke. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local family court programs change over time and can differ between branches, use the Florida court clerk directory to confirm the current details for your case:

Find the Bradford County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

How custody is decided in Florida

Florida uses the same statewide rules in every county, including Bradford County, FL. Florida law no longer uses the words "custody" and "visitation" in the statute; instead, Florida Statutes chapter 61 uses "parental responsibility" (who makes major decisions for the child) and "time-sharing" (the schedule of when the child is with each parent). Parental responsibility can be shared or, in limited cases, granted solely to one parent. Judges decide time-sharing based on the best interest of the child, considering the factors listed in the statute, and Florida law does not favor a parent based on gender.

You raise parental responsibility and time-sharing inside a dissolution of marriage case, or, if the parents were never married, by first filing to establish paternity. The core steps are:

1. Open or use an existing case: a petition for dissolution of marriage, or a paternity case for unmarried parents.
2. File a proposed Parenting Plan (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.995(a)) covering parental responsibility and a time-sharing schedule.
3. Serve the other parent and file proof of service.
4. Complete a parenting course if your circuit requires one for cases with minor children (Fla. Stat. 61.21).
5. Attend mediation if your circuit requires it before a contested hearing, then attend the hearing if you have not agreed. The court enters a Final Judgment with the Parenting Plan attached.

Florida does not use a fixed statewide waiting period for custody orders the way it does for some other filings; timing depends on your circuit's calendar and whether the case is contested. Parents who agree on a Parenting Plan can submit it for the judge's signature without a contested hearing, which is almost always the faster and less costly path in Bradford County, FL.

Local notes for Bradford County, FL

Bradford County family mediation is handled by contract mediators from the circuit's Family Contract Mediators list. Combined household income under $50,000 is billed at $60 per person per session, and $50,000 to $99,999 is billed at $120 per person per session, with indigent parties exempt once the Clerk approves an indigency finding. The fee is not flat -- Fla. Stat. 44.108 scales it to combined household income, and the clerk can grant an exemption to an indigent party.

The filing fee for a Bradford County time-sharing or related family petition is $408, though additional summons or service fees can apply. The Eighth Judicial Circuit Self-Help Center is at the Family and Civil Justice Center, Room 413, in Gainesville, (352) 548-3781, and serves Bradford along with Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties. That office can tell you which forms apply and review your packet, though by law it cannot complete forms for you or advise you on what to write.

Whether a guardian ad litem gets involved in a contested case is up to the judge under Fla. Stat. 61.401 -- it's not automatic. Reach the Eighth Circuit's Guardian ad Litem Program office, primarily a dependency-case program, at 352-374-3656. One item to confirm directly: the $408.00 dissolution/time-sharing fee listed on bradfordclerk.com is on a document last dated 2014, so call the clerk's office to confirm it hasn't changed before you file.

Official custody resources in Bradford County, FL

Bradford County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 945 N. Temple Ave, Starke 32091.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented parties who may file on paper.

Eighth Judicial Circuit Family Self-Help (https://circuit8.org/self-help/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Eighth Judicial Circuit Self-Help Center, Family and Civil Justice Center Room 413 in Gainesville, (352) 548-3781, serving Bradford along with Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Bradford County Family Self-Help
• Bradford County Clerk of Court
• Fla. Stat. 61.13 - Parenting Plans and Time-Sharing

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

Bradford County, FL Child Custody FAQs