Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Osceola County, Florida

Osceola County hears child custody and time-sharing cases at the Osceola County Courthouse, also called the Jon B. Morgan Osceola County Courthouse, at 2 Courthouse Square in Kissimmee. Osceola does not run a separate public-facing self-help storefront like some neighboring counties. The Ninth Circuit's Family Court Case Management office at the courthouse is the main resource for self-represented parents. It helps keep pro se cases moving through the process.

Any Osceola case touching parental responsibility or time-sharing requires a Parenting Plan. Form 12.995(a) covers a standard arrangement, and Form 12.995(b) applies when time-sharing must be supervised. A UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), is also required, documenting the child's residence history for the past five years. Both parents must finish a state-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the court finalizes the case.

Osceola shares the Ninth Circuit's Dispute Resolution Services program with Orange County for family mediation. Either parent can request it using an online Form 50. Fees follow a sliding scale based on combined household income, and the court waives the fee for a parent found indigent.

The filing fee for a dissolution or related family case in Osceola totals $408, per the Clerk's own published fee schedule. The Clerk collects it in two parts: $397.50 at filing and a $10.50 Vital Statistics fee when the court enters final judgment.

Where custody cases are heard in Osceola County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Osceola County, FL are handled by the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Osceola County, with the county seat in Kissimmee. 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 Osceola 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 Osceola 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 Osceola County, FL.

Local notes for Osceola County, FL

Osceola's Family Court Case Management office, based at the Jon B. Morgan Osceola County Courthouse, assists judges and magistrates handling self-represented family cases. It's the practical first stop for a parent trying to work out which forms and steps apply. Staff cannot give legal advice or tell a parent how to answer a form.

Osceola parents work with the same Ninth Circuit Dispute Resolution Services team that serves Orange County for mediation, but scheduling runs through a separate Osceola contact: (407) 742-2451 or osceolamediation@ocnjcc.org. The income-based fee tiers and the indigent waiver apply the same way in both counties.

The Children's Visitation Center program, also shared across the circuit, provides supervised time-sharing and monitored exchanges for Osceola families when a judge orders supervised contact instead of unsupervised time-sharing.

Official custody resources in Osceola County, FL

Osceola County Courthouse (Jon B. Morgan Osceola County Courthouse) handles custody filings, located at 2 Courthouse Square, Kissimmee 34741.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. The Clerk's own fee schedule lists dissolution costs of $397.50 collected at filing plus a $10.50 Vital Statistics fee collected at final judgment, totaling $408, matching the standard statewide dissolution fee. E-filing is mandatory for attorneys; self-represented parents may still file on paper with the Clerk.

Family Court Case Management (Osceola) (https://ninthcircuit.org/programs-services/family-court-case-management) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Ninth Circuit's Family Court Case Management office at the Osceola County Courthouse assists judges and magistrates with pro se family cases and can direct parents to forms and parent education course information; no dedicated public self-help center storefront was confirmed for Osceola on the sources checked.

• Ninth Circuit Family Court Case Management
• Ninth Circuit Dispute Resolution Services
• Osceola Clerk Dissolution of Marriage FAQ
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Form 12.902(d) UCCJEA Affidavit

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

Osceola County, FL Child Custody FAQs