Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Gulf County, Florida

In Gulf County, and everywhere else in Florida, custody is decided as parental responsibility and time-sharing. The clerk of court's office at the Gulf County Courthouse, 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd, Room 148, Port St. Joe, is the filing point. A Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge hears the case.

The Gulf Clerk Family Law page, hosted at gulfclerk.com, covers the packets used locally. A clerk can stamp, file, and schedule paperwork, but cannot tell you what to ask for. That's why most self-represented parents in Gulf County turn to the state's Family Law Self-Help Information page for guidance on the substance behind the forms.

Two paperwork items come up in nearly every Gulf County custody case. The parenting plan itself is usually Form 12.995(a), unless distance or safety concerns call for 12.995(b) or 12.995(c). Whenever minor children are involved, both parents also owe the state a four-hour parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21, due within 45 days of filing or service.

Opening a new related family case, such as a paternity action or a dissolution that sets time-sharing, runs around $397.50 in filing costs in the Fourteenth Circuit. That figure covers opening a case, not every custody-related motion filed afterward. Gulf County uses the same statewide e-filing login as every other Florida county, so documents can go in any time of day through myflcourtaccess.com. The route taken matters: married parents handle time-sharing as part of their chapter 61 divorce, while parents who were never married open a chapter 742 paternity action. That paternity case is where parental responsibility, time-sharing, and support all get decided for the first time.

Where custody cases are heard in Gulf County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Gulf County, FL are handled by the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Gulf County, with the county seat in Port St. Joe. 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 Gulf 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 Gulf 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 Gulf County, FL.

Local notes for Gulf County, FL

Gulf County's family cases run through the Gulf County Courthouse, 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd, Room 148, Port St. Joe. From the first petition to the final signed order, that's the address where most of a case's paperwork and hearings happen.

Contested parental responsibility and time-sharing matters in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit go to mediation under Administrative Order 2007-00-03. The circuit's sliding-scale program charges $60 per person per session when combined household income sits at or under $50,000, or $120 per person per session between $50,001 and $100,000. Most cases wrap up in a single three-hour session. Parents earning more than a combined $100,000 a year are directed to a private certified mediator instead.

Filing fees run around $397.50 in the Fourteenth Circuit. Call the clerk's office to confirm the current amount before filing. Parents who cannot afford the fee can apply for civil indigent status under Fla. Stat. 57.082 to have it waived.

Official custody resources in Gulf County, FL

Gulf County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd, Room 148, Port St. Joe 32456.

The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide system covering all 20 circuits including the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

Gulf Clerk Family Law page (https://www.gulfclerk.com/family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Verified live on the clerk's or circuit's current site. Administrative Order 2007-00-03 (Family mediation referral and fee schedule) applies; see https://jud14.flcourts.org/alternative-dispute-resolution-mediation/family-mediation.

• 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.

Gulf County, FL Child Custody FAQs