Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Child custody and time-sharing cases in Miami-Dade County go through the Family Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The circuit uses a Unified Family Court model, called 'One Family, One Judge,' which keeps related family, juvenile, and domestic violence cases involving the same household with one judge. Parents without a lawyer can get help completing parenting-plan paperwork at two Family Court Self-Help Program locations: the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center at 175 NW 1st Avenue, Room 2441, in downtown Miami, and the South Dade Justice Center at 10710 SW 211th Street, Room 1400, in Cutler Bay.

Both self-help locations share the same hours, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the same fees. Intake and document review cost $40 to $85. Full packet completion help costs an extra $75 to $150 per party if you want it. Filing by mail or drop-off adds a $20 fee for copies and postage. If you can show financial hardship, these self-help fees may be reduced or waived. They're separate from the Clerk of Court's own filing fees.

Florida Statute 61.21 requires anyone in a Miami-Dade dissolution or paternity case with minor children to finish a parenting course before a judge enters final judgment. The circuit's Divorce Education Program for Parents meets that requirement, and the Department of Children and Families keeps the current list of approved providers statewide. If parents arrive without a written agreement on time-sharing, parental responsibility, and support, the court usually sends the case to mediation to draft one. Contested time-sharing and support issues can also go to a General Magistrate for a recommended order first.

Any pleading that could affect where a child lives must include a sworn UCCJEA affidavit, Form 12.902(d), listing the child's residence history for the past five years. This lets the court confirm it has jurisdiction under Florida's Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. The parenting plan itself goes on one of the state's 12.995 forms: general, safety-focused, or long-distance. All of these, including the UCCJEA form, are free through the Florida Courts self-help forms library.

Where custody cases are heard in Miami-Dade County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Miami-Dade County, FL are handled by the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Miami-Dade County, with the county seat in Miami. 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 Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County, FL.

Local notes for Miami-Dade County, FL

The two self-help locations exist because Miami-Dade County is large. Parents in South Dade, Homestead, and the Redland can use the South Dade Justice Center instead of driving downtown. Everyone else typically goes to the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center. Both buildings run the same hours and charge the same fees, so the choice comes down to drive time, not service quality.

Because the Eleventh Circuit runs a Unified Family Court, a parent with an open custody case and a related juvenile dependency or domestic violence injunction case involving the same child can expect those cases to land in front of the same judge instead of being handled separately. That coordination is built into how the circuit organizes its family docket. No one has to request it.

Florida Statute 61.13(2)(c) requires the court to weigh any evidence of domestic violence when deciding parental responsibility and time-sharing. Self-represented parents completing a parenting plan should expect the court to ask about safety concerns as part of that process, no matter which self-help location or form set they use.

Official custody resources in Miami-Dade County, FL

Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center handles custody filings, located at 175 NW 1st Avenue, Miami 33128. Phone: 305-349-7800. South Dade Justice Center at 10710 SW 211th Street, Room 1400 handles Family Court Self-Help Program services for South Dade filers, same hours and fee schedule as the downtown location.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide. Clerk of Court filing fees for family cases range $50-$409 depending on case type; parenting-plan and modification petitions are usually lower than the $409 dissolution fee. Confirm the exact fee for the specific petition with the Clerk of Court.

Family Court Self-Help Program, Eleventh Judicial Circuit (https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/Family-Court-Self-Help-Program) can help with procedure and paperwork. Two locations (Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, Room 2441, and South Dade Justice Center, Room 1400), open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fees $40-$85 for intake and packet review, plus optional completion assistance $75-$150 per party; $20 copies/postage fee for mail or drop-off filings. Reduced or waived fees available for indigent filers with proof of hardship. Cannot give legal advice.

• Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Court Self-Help Program
• Eleventh Judicial Circuit Unified Family Court
• Parenting Plan Forms 12.995(a)-(c)
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Miami-Dade County, FL Child Custody FAQs