Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Holmes County, Florida

In Holmes County, a custody question is legally a parental responsibility and time-sharing question, the term used on the court's own forms. Filings go to the clerk at the Holmes County Courthouse in Bonifay, and a Fourteenth Judicial Circuit family judge decides the case.

The Fourteenth Circuit Family Law Forms page, hosted at holmesclerk.com, holds the packets used locally. The clerk's office keeps the case moving on paper, but a parent still needs to know which form applies and when to file it. That guidance lives on the Florida Courts Family Law Self-Help Information page, not at the intake counter.

Every case that sets parental responsibility and time-sharing needs a parenting plan on file. Form 12.995(a) covers most families, and the long-distance and safety-focused versions, 12.995(b) and 12.995(c), apply when those situations come up. If the children are minors, both parents also owe the state a Fla. Stat. 61.21 parenting course before a judge signs a final order, usually within 45 days of filing or being served.

Holmes County's filing fee isn't posted on the clerk's or circuit's current site, so call the clerk's office to confirm the cost before filing. Adding a custody request to an existing case is often free or carries a small motion fee, while opening a brand new case means paying the full filing cost. Florida's E-Filing Portal, myflcourtaccess.com, covers all 20 circuits, so most of this paperwork can be submitted online instead of in person. Two paths lead to the same result. A divorcing couple resolves time-sharing inside a chapter 61 dissolution case. An unmarried couple files a chapter 742 paternity action instead, and that filing is what first establishes legal fatherhood along with parental responsibility and a schedule.

Where custody cases are heard in Holmes County, FL

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

Local notes for Holmes County, FL

Nearly everything in a Holmes County family case, including filing, docketing, and most hearings, happens at one address: the Holmes County Courthouse, 201 N Oklahoma St, Bonifay, 32425. A remote hearing, when one gets scheduled, is the main exception.

Contested parental responsibility and time-sharing matters in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit go to mediation under Administrative Order 2007-00-03. The circuit's own 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, and most cases wrap up in a single three-hour session. Parents earning more than a combined $100,000 a year get directed to a private certified mediator instead.

Holmes County's exact filing fee isn't confirmed on a live page on the clerk's or circuit's current site. Call the clerk's office directly to check the current cost 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 Holmes County, FL

Holmes County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 201 N Oklahoma St, Bonifay 32425.

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.

Fourteenth Circuit Family Law Forms page (https://jud14.flcourts.org/family-law/family-law-forms) 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.

Holmes County, FL Child Custody FAQs