Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Broward County, Florida

The Family Division of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit handles child custody and time-sharing cases in Broward County. It sits at the Broward County Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale. Family Court Services, in Suite 19140 of that courthouse (954-831-6770), runs a parenting coordination program. The program is a child-focused alternative dispute resolution process: it helps parents work out the details of a parenting plan before a case reaches a contested hearing.

The same office refers parents to related services: anger management, co-parenting classes, family counseling, individual counseling, parenting classes, paternity testing, substance abuse treatment, and both standard and therapeutic supervised visitation. Family Court Services also provides social investigations for custody and time-sharing disputes at no cost to the parties. Not every circuit offers this service for free.

Self-represented parents have two separate resources at the Central Courthouse. The Pro Se Self Help Unit sells approved Family Law Forms packets but cannot give legal advice. The Self Help Equal Access Center Law Library, on the North Wing's first floor, is open weekday mornings from 7:30 to noon and offers law librarians and legal databases for procedural questions. Filing fees for dissolution and annulment run $409.00 under the Clerk's published fee schedule. A custody-only petition's fee depends on the case type, so confirm the exact amount with the Clerk before filing.

Every Florida circuit requires a parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21 before a final judgment in a case with minor children. Any pleading that touches where a child will live needs a sworn UCCJEA affidavit, Form 12.902(d), covering the child's residence history for the past five years. This lets the court confirm jurisdiction under Florida's Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

Where custody cases are heard in Broward County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Broward County, FL are handled by the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Broward County, with the county seat in Fort Lauderdale. 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 Broward 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 Broward 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 Broward County, FL.

Local notes for Broward County, FL

Broward's Family Court Services office offers more services than many circuits. Instead of pointing parents only toward mediation, it runs its own referral network for parenting coordination, counseling, paternity testing, and both regular and therapeutic supervised visitation, all coordinated from the same Suite 19140 office at the Central Courthouse. A parent unsure which service fits their situation can start with one call to 954-831-6770 instead of searching for each provider separately.

The free social investigation for custody and time-sharing disputes stands out, since not every circuit offers this service without a fee. It gives the court an independent look at a family's circumstances in a contested case, rather than relying only on the parents' own filings.

The Self Help Equal Access Center Law Library keeps limited weekday-morning hours, 7:30 a.m. to noon. A self-represented parent should plan a courthouse visit for research or form questions around that window, not in the afternoon, and should bring a case number or filing details to make the most of the law librarians' time.

Official custody resources in Broward County, FL

Broward County Courthouse (Central Courthouse) handles custody filings, located at 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale 33301. Phone: 954-831-6565.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide. Dissolution/annulment filing fee is $409.00 per the Clerk's published fee list; custody-only petitions vary by case type.

Pro Se Self Help Unit and Self Help Equal Access Center Law Library (https://www.browardclerk.org/Divisions/Family) can help with procedure and paperwork. Pro Se Self Help Unit provides approved Family Law Forms for a fee (does not give legal advice). Self Help Equal Access Center Law Library, Central Courthouse, North Wing, 1st Floor, open Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to noon, offers additional forms, legal databases, and law librarians for procedural guidance.

• Broward Clerk Family Division
• Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Family Court Services
• Parenting Plan Forms 12.995(a)-(c)
• 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.

Broward County, FL Child Custody FAQs