Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Glades County, Florida

File Glades County child custody and time-sharing cases at the Glades County Courthouse, 500 Avenue J, Suite 102, in Moore Haven. This court sits in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit along with Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, and Lee counties. Glades is one of Florida's smallest counties and has no dedicated public self-help center. The Clerk's office at (863) 946-6010 is your main local contact for family law forms and packets.

Any Glades case touching parental responsibility or time-sharing needs a Parenting Plan: Form 12.995(a) for a standard arrangement, or 12.995(b) when time-sharing must be supervised. You'll also need a UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), documenting the child's residence history for the past five years. Both parents must complete a state-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the court finalizes the case.

The Clerk's Family Law page confirms forms and packets are sold in the office for a fee, but does not list the amount online. Call ahead to confirm pricing before you visit. No Glades or statewide source checked publishes the general family case filing fee either, so confirm the current amount directly with the Clerk.

Contested time-sharing disputes in the Twentieth Circuit typically go to mediation under Administrative Order 1.16. This process is shared across all five circuit counties rather than run separately in Glades.

Where custody cases are heard in Glades County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Glades County, FL are handled by the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Glades County, with the county seat in Moore Haven. 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 Glades 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 Glades 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 Glades County, FL.

Local notes for Glades County, FL

Glades is a small rural county, so it relies more heavily on shared Twentieth Circuit infrastructure than on local, county-specific offices. Unified Family Court, established under Administrative Orders 12.2 and 12.4, coordinates related family and dependency cases involving the same family across the circuit, including matters that begin in Moore Haven.

Supervised visitation in Glades operates under the circuit's Administrative Order 12.3. No Glades-specific supervised visitation agency turned up in the sources checked, so ask the Clerk's office which provider currently serves the area.

Published fee information for Glades is limited, so self-represented parents should call the Clerk's office directly at (863) 946-6010 before filing. Ask about the current filing fee and whether an indigency fee waiver under Fla. Stat. 57.082 might apply to your situation.

Official custody resources in Glades County, FL

Glades County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 500 Avenue J, Suite 102, Moore Haven 33471. Phone: (863) 946-6010.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is available statewide; Glades-specific e-filing notes were not confirmed on the Clerk's site.

Glades Clerk Family Law forms/packets (https://gladesclerk.com) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Clerk's Family Law page states forms and packets are available in the Clerk's office for a fee but does not publish the amount. No dedicated self-help center URL was found. Phone (863) 946-6010.

• Glades County Clerk of Court
• Twentieth Circuit AO 1.16 Court-Ordered Mediation
• Twentieth Circuit AO 12.4 Unified Family Court
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Form 12.902(d) UCCJEA Affidavit

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

Glades County, FL Child Custody FAQs