Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Polk County, Florida

Most Polk County child custody and time-sharing cases are heard at the Polk County Courthouse, 255 N. Broadway Avenue in Bartow. Some family law hearings have moved to the Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred instead, so check your hearing notice rather than assuming Bartow. Polk sits in the Tenth Judicial Circuit along with Highlands and Hardee counties.

The Polk County Clerk's Self-Help Center handles dissolution, paternity, name changes, and enforcement matters. Reach the center at (863) 534-4015, Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm. Packets are sold at both the Bartow and Northeast office locations, and TurboCourt lets parents prepare certain forms online instead.

Any Polk case involving parental responsibility or time-sharing requires a Parenting Plan: Form 12.995(a) for a standard arrangement, or 12.995(b) when time-sharing must be supervised. A UCCJEA Affidavit, Form 12.902(d), covering the child's residence history for the past five years, is also required. Both parents must complete a state-approved parenting course before the court finalizes the case.

Contested time-sharing disputes in Polk usually go through the Tenth Circuit's ADR Services Department for mediation, held by Zoom or phone, before a judge sets a hearing.

Where custody cases are heard in Polk County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Polk County, FL are handled by the Tenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Polk County, with the county seat in Bartow. 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 Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, FL.

Local notes for Polk County, FL

Polk's ADR Services Department, based in Bartow, mediates Family, Dependency, and County Civil cases for all three Tenth Circuit counties, using Florida Supreme Court certified mediators. Contact the department at (863) 534-4698 or mediation@jud10.flcourts.org. Sessions currently run by Zoom video or telephone rather than in person.

Some Polk family hearings have moved from the Bartow courthouse to the Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred. Confirm the exact address and courtroom on your hearing notice before driving to either location, and check the circuit's virtual courtroom link page to see if the hearing is remote.

Three agencies serving the Tenth Circuit offer supervised visitation and monitored exchange in Polk: the Toby Center, Hope 4 Families, and Sam's House Supervised Visitation Agency. The Self-Help Center can confirm which agency currently has capacity near Lakeland, Winter Haven, or Bartow.

Official custody resources in Polk County, FL

Polk County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow 33830. Phone: (863) 534-4015. Northeast Government Center at Lake Alfred, FL handles Some Polk family law hearings have been moving here rather than the Bartow courthouse; confirm the hearing location on the specific notice you receive..

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. The Clerk also offers TurboCourt, an interactive tool for preparing dissolution forms, as an alternative to the printed self-help packets.

Polk County Clerk Self-Help Center (https://www.polkclerkfl.gov/272/Self-Help-Center-DRAFT/1000) can help with procedure and paperwork. Covers dissolution of marriage, paternity, name changes, and civil contempt or enforcement matters. The Self-Help Program phone is (863) 534-4015, staffed Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm; packets can be purchased at the Bartow and Northeast office locations. Staff cannot give legal advice.

• Polk County Clerk Self-Help Center
• Tenth Circuit ADR Services (Mediation)
• Tenth Circuit Virtual Courtroom Links
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• 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.

Polk County, FL Child Custody FAQs