Child Custody and Time-Sharing in St. Johns County, Florida

If you are starting or responding to a child custody case in St. Johns County, file your paperwork with the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court. A Circuit Court judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit's Family Division decides parental responsibility and time-sharing. Paper filings and in-person hearings happen at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Families across the county, including those in Ponte Vedra Beach, use this same courthouse.

Florida courts do not award custody in the traditional sense. Under Fla. Stat. 61.13, the court approves a parenting plan that covers parental responsibility (decision-making) and time-sharing (the schedule). Most parents use the standard Form 12.995(a). Parents dealing with domestic violence or other safety concerns use the safety-focused version, Form 12.995(b). Parents who live in different cities or states can use the long-distance version, Form 12.995(c).

Fla. Stat. 61.21 adds one more requirement: both parents must complete a state-approved parenting course before the court finalizes a case with minor children. DCF vets and lists the approved providers. Every minor-child petition also needs the UCCJEA affidavit, Form 12.902(d); it uses the child's residence history to show the court has authority to hear the case. Expect a mediation referral before any contested time-sharing hearing. Fla. Stat. 61.183 authorizes this, and most circuits treat it as a standard step.

Attorneys must file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com; self-represented parties can use that portal too, or file on paper at the clerk's counter. The Seventh Judicial Circuit's family self-help program offers procedural help: https://stjohnsclerk.com/court-records/family-law/. Staff there can point you to the right forms and walk you through the filing steps, but by law they cannot give legal advice or tell you how to answer a specific question on your paperwork.

Where custody cases are heard in St. Johns County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in St. Johns County, FL are handled by the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, St. Johns County, with the county seat in St. Augustine. 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 St. Johns 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 St. Johns 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 St. Johns County, FL.

Local notes for St. Johns County, FL

Family cases in St. Johns County with combined party income under $100,000 qualify for the circuit's court mediation program under Administrative Order FM-2012-027-SC. The county also offers two supervised visitation options: Family Resource Connection and The Playful Family, Inc. Mediation fees rise and fall with combined household income under Fla. Stat. 44.108, and a party who qualifies as indigent can ask the clerk for a fee exemption.

St. Johns County's clerk has not posted one clear dollar figure for a family law filing fee online. The published fee tables just say forms may be obtained 'for a fee,' with no dollar amount listed for a time-sharing petition. Call the St. Johns Clerk's Family Division at (904) 819-3600, or email familydl@stjohnsclerk.com, to confirm the exact cost; the office also links to TurboCourt and the Forms Library. Staff there can tell you which forms apply and review your packet, though by law they cannot complete forms for you or advise you on what to write.

Fla. Stat. 61.401 allows, but does not require, a court to appoint a guardian ad litem in a contested custody dispute. The Seventh Circuit's Guardian ad Litem Program office, mainly a dependency-case program, can be reached at 386-239-7803. For the exact filing fee on a time-sharing or custody petition, call the Family Division desk directly at (904) 819-3600; stjohnsclerk.com does not list a dollar figure.

Official custody resources in St. Johns County, FL

Richard O. Watson Judicial Center handles custody filings, located at 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine 32084. Phone: (904) 819-3600.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented parties who may file on paper.

Seventh Judicial Circuit Family Self-Help (https://stjohnsclerk.com/court-records/family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. St. Johns Clerk's Family Division, familydl@stjohnsclerk.com, (904) 819-3600; also links to TurboCourt and the Forms Library

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• St. Johns County Family Self-Help
• St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court
• Fla. Stat. 61.13 - Parenting Plans and Time-Sharing

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

St. Johns County, FL Child Custody FAQs