Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Liberty County, Florida

Liberty County handles child custody, called parental responsibility and time-sharing in the statute, the same way every Florida county does. File with the clerk, then wait for assignment to a family judge in the Second Judicial Circuit. The clerk's counter sits at the Liberty County Clerk of Court in Bristol.

The clerk does not publish a working self-help or family-law packet page. Call the family division directly instead. Nothing the clerk's office does counts as legal advice; its job is intake, fee collection, and docketing. The substance of a case still comes from statewide resources rather than the courthouse counter.

Any case that sets parental responsibility and time-sharing needs a parenting plan on file. Use Form 12.995(a) by default, or the long-distance and safety-focused versions, 12.995(b) and 12.995(c), when those situations apply. When the children are minors, both parents also owe the state a parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21 before a judge signs a final order, generally within 45 days of filing or of being served.

Liberty County has no verified, clerk-published filing fee figure on the clerk's or circuit's current site. Adding a custody request to an existing case is often free or costs a small motion fee, while opening a brand new case carries the full filing cost. Florida's E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com covers all 20 circuits, so most paperwork can go in 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 instead files a chapter 742 paternity action, and that filing is what first establishes legal fatherhood alongside parental responsibility and a schedule.

Where custody cases are heard in Liberty County, FL

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

Local notes for Liberty County, FL

Nearly everything in a Liberty County family case, including filing, docketing, and most hearings, happens at one address: the Liberty County Clerk of Court, 10818 NW SR 20, Bristol, 32321. A remote hearing, when one is scheduled, is the main exception.

Fla. Stat. 61.183 is the statewide rule that sends contested time-sharing cases to mediation. Fla. Stat. 44.108 is meant to keep the fee affordable through an income-based scale. The clerk's and circuit's current sites do not publish a current, publicly posted fee table for Liberty County, so ask the clerk or case manager directly.

Liberty County's exact filing fee is not confirmed on a live page on the clerk's or circuit's current site, so treat the cost as unknown until the clerk confirms it. 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 Liberty County, FL

Liberty County Clerk of Court handles custody filings, located at 10818 NW SR 20, Bristol 32321.

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.

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.

Liberty County, FL Child Custody FAQs