Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Lafayette County, Florida

Florida courts don't use the word custody. The legal terms are parental responsibility and time-sharing. Lafayette County parents file through the clerk's office at the Lafayette County Courthouse, 120 West Main Street, Mayo, and a Third Judicial Circuit judge decides the case.

The clerk's office has no working self-help or family-law packet page online, so call the family division directly for guidance. Clerk staff process paperwork, collect fees, and keep the docket moving, but Florida law bars them from explaining legal rights or telling a parent what to write. That's why the state built the Family Law Self-Help Information page and FloridaLawHelp.org for people representing themselves.

Two paperwork items come up in nearly every Lafayette County custody case. The first is the parenting plan itself, usually Form 12.995(a) unless distance or safety concerns call for 12.995(b) or 12.995(c). The second, required whenever minor children are involved, is the state's four-hour parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21, due within 45 days of filing or service.

The clerk's site doesn't list a filing fee for Lafayette County, so call the clerk's office to confirm the amount. Beyond the initial filing fee, most later paperwork, motions, notices, proposed orders, can go in electronically through Florida's statewide portal at myflcourtaccess.com instead of over the counter. Case type depends on marital status. Married parents get time-sharing decided inside a dissolution of marriage case under chapter 61. Parents who were never married file a paternity action under chapter 742 instead, which sets parental responsibility, time-sharing, and child support all at once.

Where custody cases are heard in Lafayette County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Lafayette County, FL are handled by the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Lafayette County, with the county seat in Mayo. 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County, FL.

Local notes for Lafayette County, FL

Lafayette County's family cases run through the Lafayette County Courthouse, 120 West Main Street, Mayo. From the first petition to the final signed order, that's the address for most of a case's paperwork and hearings.

A contested time-sharing dispute in Lafayette County still has to clear mediation first, under Fla. Stat. 61.183, and the fee is meant to be income-scaled under Fla. Stat. 44.108. The Third Circuit doesn't publish a current fee page online, so confirm the cost before you budget for a session.

Lafayette County's exact filing fee isn't listed on a live page on the clerk's or circuit's site, so treat the cost as unknown until the clerk confirms it. Parents who can't afford the fee can apply for civil indigent status under Fla. Stat. 57.082 to have it waived.

Official custody resources in Lafayette County, FL

Lafayette County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 120 West Main Street, Mayo 32066.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide system covering all 20 circuits including the Third Judicial Circuit.

The self-help center can help with procedure and paperwork. Not verified live on the clerk's or circuit's current site; see unverified list.

• 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.

Lafayette County, FL Child Custody FAQs