Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Leon County, Florida

Custody in Leon County runs on Florida's real terms: parental responsibility and time-sharing, decided under chapter 61 by whichever family judge the Second Judicial Circuit assigns. Filing happens at the clerk of court's office, Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee.

The Leon Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center, at leonclerk.com, covers the packets used locally. Staff there handle intake, fee collection, docket numbers, and certified copies. They cannot advise a parent on what to put in a petition or parenting plan.

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

Opening a new related family case, such as a paternity action or a dissolution that sets time-sharing, costs around $397.50 in the Second Circuit. That figure covers opening a case, not every custody-related motion filed afterward. Leon County uses the same statewide e-filing login as every other Florida county, so documents can go in at any hour through myflcourtaccess.com. Route matters here. Married parents handle time-sharing inside their chapter 61 divorce. Parents who were never married open a chapter 742 paternity action instead, and that case is where parental responsibility, time-sharing, and support all get decided for the first time.

Where custody cases are heard in Leon County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Leon County, FL are handled by the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Leon County, with the county seat in Tallahassee. 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 Leon 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 Leon 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 Leon County, FL.

Local notes for Leon County, FL

Leon County family cases run through the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee. From the first petition to the final signed order, that address handles most of a case's paperwork and hearings.

Courts generally refer a contested time-sharing dispute to mediation, per Fla. Stat. 61.183. Mediator fees are supposed to follow the income-based scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108. The circuit does not publish a live, Second Circuit-specific fee sheet, so call the assigned case manager for the current number.

Filing fees run around $397.50 in the Second Circuit, but the clerk's office has the final word on the current amount. Parents who cannot afford the fee can apply for civil indigent status under Fla. Stat. 57.082 to get it waived.

Official custody resources in Leon County, FL

Leon County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee 32301.

The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide system covering all 20 circuits including the Second Judicial Circuit.

Leon Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center (https://leonclerk.com/divisions/self-help-center/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Verified live on the clerk's or circuit's current site.

• 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.

Leon County, FL Child Custody FAQs