Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County hears child custody and time-sharing cases in the Family Division of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. The circuit operates as a Unified Family Court and runs its main docket out of the Palm Beach County Courthouse at 205 N. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. The Clerk also maintains branch courthouses in Palm Beach Gardens (North County), Delray Beach (South County), and Belle Glade (West County). These branches accept certain family filings, but which filings each branch handles can change, so confirm with the Clerk before appearing at a branch for a custody matter.

Parents without a lawyer can request the Clerk's Do-It-Yourself in Court Divorce Workshop Toolbox and general self-service family forms through the Self-Service Center. The Clerk's website blocked automated access while this page was researched, so call ahead to confirm current hours and materials rather than relying on a cached description.

Where combined household income is $100,000 a year or less, the circuit's staff mediators handle dissolution, paternity, and custody mediation under a sliding-scale fee set by Administrative Order 2.807, which points to Florida Statute 44.108 for the rate structure. Scheduling goes through the circuit's online Mediation Scheduling Application, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution office can be reached at 561-355-2739 or CAD-MediationRef@pbcgov.org with questions about eligibility or scheduling.

Anyone with minor children in a Palm Beach dissolution or paternity case must complete a parenting course before a judge enters final judgment, under Fla. Stat. 61.21. Any pleading touching where a child will live needs a sworn UCCJEA affidavit, Form 12.902(d), listing the child's residence history for the past five years, so the court can confirm jurisdiction under Florida's Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

Where custody cases are heard in Palm Beach County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Palm Beach County, FL are handled by the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Palm Beach County, with the county seat in West Palm Beach. 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 Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach 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 Palm Beach County, FL.

Local notes for Palm Beach County, FL

Palm Beach County's four-courthouse layout is a practical issue for custody filers. The Main Courthouse in West Palm Beach is the default location for family cases, but a parent living near Belle Glade or the Glades communities may be able to use West County Courthouse for some filings instead of driving across the county. Because branch-court scope can change, the safest move is a phone call to the Clerk's family division before choosing a location for anything beyond routine paperwork.

The circuit brands several of its parent-facing family programs with a 'UFC' prefix, including a UFC visitation program listed among its court programs, reflecting the Unified Family Court structure. Because the direct visitation-program page was not reachable, a parent who needs supervised exchanges or supervised parenting time should call the ADR office or the family division directly for current intake steps and cost rather than assume a fixed fee.

Mediation in Palm Beach is income-gated: staff mediators are available at a reduced sliding-scale cost only where combined household income is $100,000 or less. Above that threshold, parties are expected to retain a certified private mediator at market rates. This threshold matters for a parent deciding whether to request staff mediation or plan for a private mediator's cost before a scheduled hearing.

Official custody resources in Palm Beach County, FL

Palm Beach County Courthouse (Main Courthouse) handles custody filings, located at 205 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach 33401. North County Courthouse at 3188 PGA Blvd handles accepts certain family filings; confirm current scope with the Clerk before relying on it for a custody filing. South County Courthouse at 200 W Atlantic Ave handles accepts certain family filings; confirm current scope with the Clerk before relying on it for a custody filing. West County Courthouse at 2950 State Rd 15 handles accepts certain family filings; confirm current scope with the Clerk before relying on it for a custody filing.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide. Payment can also be made through PayItClerkPBC and mypalmbeachclerk.com.

Palm Beach Clerk Self-Service Center, Divorce Workshop Toolbox (https://www.15thcircuit.com/program-page/court-programs) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Clerk's Self-Service Center runs a Do-It-Yourself in Court Divorce Workshop Toolbox and general self-service family forms; the Clerk's own site blocked automated access on the current official sites, so confirm current hours and toolbox content directly with the Clerk's office. Administrative Order 2.807 (Fee Schedule for Family Court Mediation, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit) applies; see https://www.15thcircuit.com/services/mediation.

• Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Family Mediation
• Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court Programs
• Parenting Plan Forms 12.995(a)-(c)
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal

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

Palm Beach County, FL Child Custody FAQs