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

St. Lucie County child custody and parenting-plan cases go through the Clerk and Comptroller's Family Relations Department, at the St. Lucie County Courthouse, 201 South Indian River Drive, 2nd Floor, in Fort Pierce. Parents who prefer to file by mail instead of in person or online can send documents directly to the Family Relations Department at P.O. Box 700, Fort Pierce, FL 34954. The Clerk's own Family department page provides forms and an FAQ, though the office cannot give legal advice or fill out forms for a filer.

St. Lucie County sits in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, which also covers Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee counties, so the mediation program and parenting-course requirement work the same way here as in those counties. The Nineteenth Circuit Mediation Program is open to parents with combined gross income of $100,000 a year or less. As of the page checked, sessions circuit-wide are held remotely with at least 48 hours' notice, coordinated through 772-807-4370 or ThomasS@circuit19.org.

Parents required to complete a parenting course under Fla. Stat. 61.21 satisfy it through the circuit's Standing Order of Referral to Parent Education Classes, drawing from an approved provider roster that covers the whole circuit. The circuit also keeps a current roster of parenting coordinators as a downloadable PDF, available to St. Lucie County parents the same as in the circuit's other three counties.

The standard dissolution filing fee in St. Lucie County is $397.50. Forms can be filed electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, downloaded and mailed, or brought in person. A custody-only petition's fee depends on the case type, so confirm the exact amount with the Clerk. Any pleading affecting where a child will live also needs a sworn UCCJEA affidavit, Form 12.902(d), so the court can confirm jurisdiction under Florida's Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

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

Custody and time-sharing matters in St. Lucie County, FL are handled by the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, St. Lucie County, with the county seat in Fort Pierce. 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. Lucie 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. Lucie 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. Lucie County, FL.

Local notes for St. Lucie County, FL

The Family Relations Department's dedicated mailing address, P.O. Box 700, Fort Pierce, FL 34954, helps a parent who wants to file by mail rather than drive to the courthouse or use the e-filing portal. Documents sent to that address go directly to the office that handles custody and parenting-plan cases, not a general Clerk's office box.

St. Lucie shares its circuit's mediation and parenting-course programs with Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee counties. A parent who moves between those counties during a custody case, for work or family reasons, will find the same mediation eligibility rules and the same parenting-course requirement wherever the case is venued in the circuit.

St. Lucie County's $397.50 dissolution filing fee runs lower than the $408 to $409 figures confirmed in some neighboring counties. A parent should still confirm the current fee for a custody-only or modification petition directly with the Family Relations Department rather than assume it matches the dissolution figure.

Official custody resources in St. Lucie County, FL

St. Lucie County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 201 South Indian River Drive, 2nd Floor, Fort Pierce 34950.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide; forms can also be downloaded and filed by mail or in person. Dissolution filing fee is $397.50 per the Clerk's fee schedule; custody-only petition fees vary by case type.

St. Lucie Clerk Family department page (https://stlucieclerk.gov/departments-top-menu/family/divorce) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Clerk's Family department page provides forms and an FAQ for divorce and related family cases; the page notes the Clerk's office cannot give legal advice or help complete forms. Mailing address for filings by mail: Clerk and Comptroller, Attn: Family Relations Department, P.O. Box 700, Fort Pierce, FL 34954.

• Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Family Division
• Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Mediation
• St. Lucie Clerk Family Department
• 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.

St. Lucie County, FL Child Custody FAQs