Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Franklin County, Florida

Franklin County falls under Florida's Second Judicial Circuit. That circuit's family bench decides every local child custody matter, formally called parental responsibility and time-sharing under Fla. Stat. 61.13. The clerk's office at the Franklin County Courthouse in Apalachicola takes the filing first.

The Franklin Clerk Family Law page at franklinclerk.com covers the packets used locally. The clerk's office moves the paperwork along, but a parent still needs to know which form applies and when to file it. That guidance comes from the Florida Courts Family Law Self-Help Information page, not the intake counter.

No matter which courtroom in the Second Judicial Circuit hears the case, two requirements apply: a signed parenting plan built on Form 12.995(a), 12.995(b), or 12.995(c), and, for minor children, the parenting course required by Fla. Stat. 61.21. That course is due about 45 days after filing or service.

Franklin County's filing fee isn't published on the clerk's or circuit's current site, so call the clerk's office to confirm it. Adding a custody request to an existing case is often free or costs a small motion fee, while opening a brand new case carries the full filing cost. Florida's E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com covers all 20 circuits, so most paperwork can go in online instead of in person. Two paths lead to the same result. A divorcing couple resolves time-sharing inside a chapter 61 dissolution case. An unmarried couple files a chapter 742 paternity action instead, and that filing is what first establishes legal fatherhood along with parental responsibility and a schedule.

Where custody cases are heard in Franklin County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Franklin County, FL are handled by the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Franklin County, with the county seat in Apalachicola. 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, FL.

Local notes for Franklin County, FL

Franklin County's clerk family division sits at Franklin County Courthouse, 33 Market Street, Suite 203, Apalachicola, 32320. That's also where hearings happen once a case is assigned, unless the Second Judicial Circuit moves it to a different courtroom or a remote setting.

Mediation is the default step before a contested time-sharing hearing anywhere in Florida, required by Fla. Stat. 61.183, with fees set on the income-based scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108. Franklin County's own current fee figures aren't posted on a live circuit page, so call the family division to get them.

Franklin County's exact filing fee isn't confirmed on a live page on the clerk's or circuit's current site, so treat the cost as unknown until the clerk confirms it. Parents who can't afford the fee can apply for civil indigent status under Fla. Stat. 57.082 to get it waived.

Official custody resources in Franklin County, FL

Franklin County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 33 Market Street, Suite 203, Apalachicola 32320.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide system covering all 20 circuits including the Second Judicial Circuit.

Franklin Clerk Family Law page (https://www.franklinclerk.com/courts/family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Verified live on the clerk's or circuit's current site.

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida Statute 61.13, parental responsibility and time-sharing
• Form 12.995(a), Parenting Plan (PDF)
• Form 12.902(d), UCCJEA Affidavit (PDF)
• Florida Guardian ad Litem Program, local circuit finder
• FloridaLawHelp.org

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

Franklin County, FL Child Custody FAQs