Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Indian River County, Florida

Indian River County child custody and time-sharing cases go through the Family Division of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit. The circuit covers four counties: Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie. The Indian River County Courthouse is at 2000 16th Avenue in Vero Beach. The courthouse itself is county-specific, but programs like mediation and the parenting-course referral work the same way in all four counties.

The Nineteenth Circuit Mediation Program accepts family cases when the parties' combined gross income is $100,000 a year or less. As of the page checked, the circuit holds all family mediations remotely, and sessions get arranged at least 48 hours in advance. Reach the mediation office at 772-807-4370 or ThomasS@circuit19.org. The circuit's mediation page does not list a specific dollar fee, so ask about current cost when you schedule.

Parents who need a parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21 satisfy it through the circuit's Standing Order of Referral to Parent Education Classes. A roster of approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course providers covers the whole circuit rather than one county. The circuit also keeps a roster of parenting coordinators as a downloadable PDF, for cases that use coordination alongside or instead of litigation.

A parent changing an existing custody order can start from the circuit's forms-and-checklists page, which lists a Supplemental Petition to Modify Parental Responsibility, Visitation or Parenting Plan, Timesharing Schedule checklist. As in every Florida circuit, any pleading that touches where a child will live also needs a sworn UCCJEA affidavit, Form 12.902(d), so the court can confirm jurisdiction under Florida's Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

Where custody cases are heard in Indian River County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Indian River County, FL are handled by the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Indian River County, with the county seat in Vero Beach. 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 Indian River 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 Indian River 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 Indian River County, FL.

Local notes for Indian River County, FL

Indian River shares its circuit with three other counties, so mediation, the parenting course, and parenting coordinators work the same way whether a case gets filed in Vero Beach, Stuart, Okeechobee, or Fort Pierce. What changes by county is the courthouse address, the Clerk's contact information, and county-specific filing logistics.

Confirm the remote-only mediation format before a scheduled session, since court practices around remote and in-person appearances can shift. Call the mediation office at 772-807-4370 to check whether remote is still the format at the time you schedule, rather than assuming it stays that way.

A parent modifying an existing timesharing or parental responsibility order should start with the circuit's Supplemental Petition to Modify checklist instead of standard dissolution paperwork. A modification case follows a different track, and it typically carries a different filing fee than an initial dissolution or paternity case.

Official custody resources in Indian River County, FL

Indian River County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 2000 16th Avenue, Vero Beach 32960.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide. Dissolution filing fee is $408.00 (or $418 with issuance of summons) per the Clerk; custody-only petition fees vary by case type.

Indian River Clerk Divorce page, Domestic Relations (https://indianriverclerk.com/court-services/domestic-relations/divorce/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Clerk's Divorce page under Domestic Relations court services links to Florida Courts Help family law forms; no dedicated in-person self-help center hours were confirmed, so call the Clerk to ask what walk-in help is currently offered for custody or parenting-plan filings.

• Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Family Division
• Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Mediation
• Indian River Clerk Domestic Relations
• Parenting Plan Forms 12.995(a)-(c)
• 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.

Indian River County, FL Child Custody FAQs