Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Hillsborough County, Florida

Hillsborough County hears child custody and time-sharing cases at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street in downtown Tampa. A second location, the Plant City Courthouse, serves residents in eastern Hillsborough County. The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit runs a Family Forms Clinic through Bay Area Legal Services at both courthouses. At the Edgecomb Courthouse, it's walk-in only on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm. In Plant City, the clinic runs Tuesdays from 10am to 2pm.

Any Hillsborough case touching parental responsibility or time-sharing needs a Parenting Plan. Use Form 12.995(a) for a standard arrangement, or Form 12.995(b) if time-sharing must be supervised. You'll also need a UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), which documents 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.

All post-judgment family law cases in Hillsborough must go through mediation before a hearing can be scheduled with the judge or general master. Reach Mediation & Diversion Services at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Suite 208, by phone at (813) 272-5642 or by email at mediation@fljud13.org.

Many Hillsborough family matters hold remote hearings by Zoom. Join 15 minutes early and expect a waiting room before your case is called. Check your specific hearing notice for the format and dial-in number.

Where custody cases are heard in Hillsborough County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Hillsborough County, FL are handled by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County, with the county seat in Tampa. 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 Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County, FL.

Local notes for Hillsborough County, FL

The Thirteenth Circuit's mediation fees are tiered. Parties with combined household income of $50,000 or less pay $60 each; above that threshold, the fee is $120 per party. The court waives the fee entirely for a party found indigent. Post-judgment cases require mediation before a hearing date with the judge or general master, and parties can request mediation voluntarily earlier in a case too.

The Children's Justice Center runs Hillsborough's Supervised Visitation program for families where a judge has ordered structured, supervised contact or monitored exchanges instead of unsupervised time-sharing. Separately, the Domestic Relations Case Management Unit helps move self-represented family cases through the system's procedural steps.

For a Zoom hearing, join at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time and expect to wait in a virtual waiting room until your case is called. Recording, photographing, or screenshotting the livestream is prohibited. Participants must use their real name and dress as they would for an in-person appearance.

Official custody resources in Hillsborough County, FL

George E. Edgecomb Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa 33602. Plant City Courthouse at 301 N. Michigan Ave., Room 2085 handles Hosts a weekly Family Forms Clinic (Tuesdays 10am-2pm) for eastern Hillsborough County residents, as an alternative to traveling to the Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa..

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Most documents are filed through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; a small set of filing types, such as foreign judgment registrations and service-by-publication requests, must still go directly to the Clerk on paper.

Family Forms Clinic (Bay Area Legal Services) (https://www.fljud13.org/Resources/Self-Help/Family-Law-Self-Help-Programs) can help with procedure and paperwork. Run by Bay Area Legal Services at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, Tampa: Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am-2pm, walk-in only, (813) 864-2280 option 2. A second clinic runs at the Plant City Courthouse on Tuesdays, 10am-2pm. Volunteer attorneys and law students help complete court-approved forms but cannot give legal advice or represent anyone in court.

• Thirteenth Circuit Family Law Self-Help Programs
• Thirteenth Circuit Family Mediation
• Thirteenth Circuit Remote Court Hearings
• Thirteenth Circuit Supervised Visitation
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

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

Hillsborough County, FL Child Custody FAQs