Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Highlands County, Florida

Highlands County hears child custody and time-sharing cases at the Highlands County Courthouse, 430 S. Commerce Avenue in Sebring. The courthouse sits in the Tenth Judicial Circuit, alongside Polk and Hardee counties. Room 102 of the courthouse holds the Pro Se Law Library, which stocks more than sixteen self-help checklists on custody, parenting plan modification, and other family matters.

A Highlands case involving parental responsibility or time-sharing requires a Parenting Plan: Form 12.995(a) for a standard arrangement, or 12.995(b) when time-sharing needs supervision. You'll also need a UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), listing where the child has lived over the past five years. Before the court finalizes the case, both parents must complete a state-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course.

Call the Pro Se Law Library at (863) 402-6565. The Tenth Circuit's broader Self-Help Program, running since 1995, is reachable at (863) 402-6618, weekdays from 8:30am to 5:00pm. Staff at either office can direct self-represented parents to the right forms, but they cannot give legal advice.

Most contested time-sharing disputes go through the Tenth Circuit's ADR Services Department for mediation, held now by Zoom or phone, before a judge sets a hearing date.

Where custody cases are heard in Highlands County, FL

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

Local notes for Highlands County, FL

Highlands shares its mediation program with Polk and Hardee counties. The Tenth Circuit's ADR Services Department, based in Bartow, runs it, using Florida Supreme Court certified mediators for Family, Dependency, and County Civil cases. Reach the department at (863) 534-4698 or mediation@jud10.flcourts.org. Sessions currently run by Zoom video or telephone.

For supervised visitation or monitored exchanges, Highlands families can choose from three agencies serving the circuit: the Toby Center, Hope 4 Families, and Sam's House Supervised Visitation Agency. Ask the Pro Se Law Library or the Self-Help Program which one currently has the most openings near Sebring or Avon Park.

The Highlands Clerk also links TurboCourt, an interactive tool for preparing certain family law forms. It's an alternative to the printed packets available at the courthouse Pro Se Law Library.

Official custody resources in Highlands County, FL

Highlands County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 430 S. Commerce Avenue, Sebring 33870. Phone: (863) 402-6565.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. The Clerk's site links TurboCourt for self-prepared family law forms in addition to the statewide e-filing portal; self-represented parties may file on paper at the Pro Se Law Library or by mail.

Pro Se Law Library (https://www.highlandsclerkfl.gov/clerk_to_the_court/pro_se____law_library/self_help_checklists_and_forms.php) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located in Room 102 of the Highlands County Courthouse, 430 S. Commerce Ave, Sebring. Offers more than 16 self-help checklists, including custody, and a packet fee schedule; also reachable through the Tenth Circuit's Self-Help Program at (863) 402-6618.

• Highlands Clerk Self-Help Checklists and Forms
• Tenth Circuit Self-Help (Pro Se) Program
• Tenth Circuit ADR Services (Mediation)
• 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.

Highlands County, FL Child Custody FAQs