Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Duval County, Florida

Child custody cases in Duval County are filed at the Duval County Clerk of Court and assigned to the Fourth Judicial Circuit's Family Division. Under Florida law, the terms parental responsibility and time-sharing replace the older word custody. The family courthouse, the Duval County Courthouse, is at 501 West Adams Street in Jacksonville, FL 32202. That includes parents based in Jacksonville Beach, not just Jacksonville itself.

Florida law (Fla. Stat. 61.13) replaced custody with two separate concepts: parental responsibility, meaning who makes major decisions, and time-sharing, meaning the actual schedule. Every case with minor children needs a parenting plan on Form 12.995(a), or the safety-focused 12.995(b) where domestic violence or substance abuse is at issue, or the long-distance 12.995(c) where the parents live far apart.

Florida also requires both parents to complete a parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21 before a judge will finalize a case involving minor children. DCF maintains the statewide list of approved providers. Every petition touching a minor child needs Form 12.902(d), the UCCJEA affidavit, listing where the child has lived so the court can verify jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Contested parenting-plan disagreements typically go through mediation first, under Fla. Stat. 61.183, before landing in front of a judge.

Electronic filing runs through myflcourtaccess.com statewide, required for attorneys and available, but optional, for self-represented parties, who can still file paper at the counter. The Fourth Judicial Circuit's family self-help program (https://www.jud4.org/family-court-services/self-help) exists for exactly this: it helps a parent without a lawyer understand which forms to file and in what order. Staff there never give legal advice.

Where custody cases are heard in Duval County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Duval County, FL are handled by the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Duval County, with the county seat in Jacksonville. 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 Duval 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 Duval 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 Duval County, FL.

Local notes for Duval County, FL

Duval County family mediation is scheduled through the circuit's ADR unit through the Fourth Circuit's Family Court Services office in Room 2150 of the courthouse (check jud4.org for current contact details), Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Income, not a flat rate, sets the mediation fee under Fla. Stat. 44.108; the clerk can waive it entirely for a party found indigent.

Expect a $409 filing fee for a time-sharing petition in Duval County; summons or service costs can add to that. Fourth Judicial Circuit Family Court Services Self-Help, serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties. Staff there review paperwork for completeness and point you to the right forms, but cannot, by law, fill anything out or advise you on specific answers.

Fla. Stat. 61.401 leaves guardian ad litem appointments in contested custody cases to the judge's discretion. For general information, the Fourth Circuit's Guardian ad Litem Program office (mainly dependency cases) is at (contact via the circuit's GAL page).

Official custody resources in Duval County, FL

Duval County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 501 West Adams Street, Jacksonville 32202. Phone: (904) 255-2000.

The filing fee is $409. 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.

Fourth Judicial Circuit Family Self-Help (https://www.jud4.org/family-court-services/self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork. Fourth Judicial Circuit Family Court Services Self-Help, serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Duval County Family Self-Help
• Duval 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.

Duval County, FL Child Custody FAQs