Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Pasco County, Florida

The Sixth Judicial Circuit hears Pasco County child custody and time-sharing cases at two courthouses: the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. Which one applies to you usually depends on where you live. Check the notice you received, or ask the Pasco Clerk, before you file.

Every Pasco case involving a minor child needs a Parenting Plan, whether it's a divorce, a paternity action, or a stand-alone custody case. Use Form 12.995(a), or Form 12.995(b) if time-sharing needs supervision. The case also needs a UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), documenting where the child has lived over the past five years. Both parents must complete the state's Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the court will finalize the plan.

The Pasco Legal Resource Center, run by the Clerk of Court, operates at both judicial centers and helps self-represented parents find and assemble the correct forms. Call 1-800-368-2411. Staff can point you to the right packet, but they cannot fill it out for you or tell you what to write.

Contested time-sharing disputes in Pasco generally go through the Sixth Circuit's family mediation program, under Administrative Order 2011-006, before a judge sets a hearing, unless a parent formally objects to the referral.

Where custody cases are heard in Pasco County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Pasco County, FL are handled by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Pasco County, with the county seat in New Port Richey. 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 Pasco 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 Pasco 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 Pasco County, FL.

Local notes for Pasco County, FL

Pasco's Unified Family Court structure coordinates related cases involving the same family, such as a dependency case and a custody case, so one team of judicial officers handles them consistently. Reach the family court coordinator at (727) 847-8135, extension 8889 for the New Port Richey courthouse or extension 4800 for the Dade City courthouse.

Mediation fees in Pasco family cases are set on a sliding scale based on income. Both parents typically file an Affidavit of Income so the clerk can determine the fee, and a parent the court has found indigent pays nothing. If a parent believes mediation is inappropriate, for example because of a documented history of domestic violence, they can file an Affidavit Re: Objection to Referral to Family Mediator instead of attending.

Because Pasco splits filings between two judicial centers, confirm which one currently handles your division before you show up. Hearing formats have varied between in-person and remote since 2020, so read your specific hearing notice for the courtroom or Zoom link that applies to your case.

Official custody resources in Pasco County, FL

West Pasco Judicial Center handles custody filings, located at 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey 34654. Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center at 38053 Live Oak Avenue, Suite 124 handles Family and Unified Family Court matters for the east side of Pasco County; self-represented parties may also file paper family petitions here..

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. E-filing through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is mandatory for attorneys; self-represented parents may still bring paper custody, paternity, or parenting-plan filings to either judicial center.

Pasco Legal Resource Center (https://www.pascoclerk.com/330/Legal-Resource-Center) can help with procedure and paperwork. Staffed by the Pasco Clerk at both the West Pasco Judicial Center (New Port Richey) and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center (Dade City); phone 1-800-368-2411. Staff can point self-represented parents to the right parenting-plan and UCCJEA forms but cannot tell anyone how to answer them.

• Sixth Circuit Family Law page (Pasco and Pinellas)
• Pasco Legal Resource Center
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course Providers
• Form 12.995(a) Parenting Plan

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

Pasco County, FL Child Custody FAQs