Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Hardee County, Florida

File Hardee County child custody and time-sharing cases with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller at 417 W. Main Street, Suite 202, in Wauchula. The Tenth Judicial Circuit hears these cases and also covers Polk and Highlands counties. Because Hardee is a small, rural county, the Clerk's office serves as the main local contact for both filing and pro se help.

The Clerk sells Florida Supreme Court simplified form packets for custody, parenting plan modification, and related family matters at the courthouse in Wauchula, priced between $6.15 and $24.35. For general procedural guidance, the Tenth Circuit's Family Court Self-Help Program can be reached at 1-800-780-5346, extension 4015. Staff there cannot give legal advice or fill out forms for a parent.

Any Hardee case touching parental responsibility or time-sharing needs a Parenting Plan, Form 12.995(a), or Form 12.995(b) for supervised arrangements. It also needs a UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), covering the child's residence for the past five years. Both parents must complete a state-approved parenting course before the court finalizes the case.

Contested time-sharing disputes in Hardee usually go through the Tenth Circuit's ADR Services Department for mediation, held by Zoom or phone, before a judge sets a hearing.

Where custody cases are heard in Hardee County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Hardee County, FL are handled by the Tenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hardee County, with the county seat in Wauchula. 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 Hardee 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 Hardee 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 Hardee County, FL.

Local notes for Hardee County, FL

The Tenth Circuit's ADR Services Department, based in Bartow, handles Family, Dependency, and County Court mediation for Hardee and the other two circuit counties, using Florida Supreme Court certified mediators. Sessions currently run by Zoom video or telephone. Contact the department at (863) 534-4698 or mediation@jud10.flcourts.org, and plan on needing a court order of referral before a session gets scheduled.

Three agencies serve the circuit for supervised visitation or monitored exchanges: the Toby Center, Hope 4 Families, and Sam's House Supervised Visitation Agency. Ask the Clerk's Family Law Division which one currently has availability near Wauchula.

Hardee is small, so expect fewer in-person office hours than in Polk or Highlands. Call ahead before visiting the Clerk's office at 417 W. Main Street, and confirm current fee amounts, since the packet price list can change.

Official custody resources in Hardee County, FL

Hardee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller handles custody filings, located at 417 W. Main Street, Suite 202, Wauchula 33873.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. The Clerk's fee schedule lists Marriage Dissolution/Annulment at $408.00, which includes a $10.50 judgment fee, matching the standard statewide amount. Hardee is a small rural county and the Clerk's site mostly directs self-represented parties to the statewide e-filing portal.

Hardee Pro Se Packets & Fees / Family Court Self-Help Program (https://www.hardeeclerk.com/departments/family-law/pro-se-packets-fees/) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Clerk sells Florida Supreme Court simplified family law form packets, including custody and parenting plan modification packets, for $6.15 to $24.35. The Tenth Circuit's Family Court Self-Help Program can also be reached at 1-800-780-5346, extension 4015. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm; staff cannot give legal advice, and indigent fee waiver applications are available.

• Hardee Clerk Pro Se Packets & Fees
• Tenth Circuit ADR Services (Mediation)
• Tenth Circuit Self-Help (Pro Se) Program
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Form 12.995(a) Parenting Plan

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

Hardee County, FL Child Custody FAQs