Child Custody and Time-Sharing in Suwannee County, Florida

A Florida court splits custody into two questions: who decides for the child, and when does the child spend time with each parent. In Suwannee County, a Third Judicial Circuit family judge answers both, after the clerk of court at the Suwannee County Courthouse, Live Oak, opens the file.

The Suwannee Clerk Family Law Handbook (PDF), hosted at suwgov.org, covers the packets used locally. It handles intake, fee collection, docket numbers, and certified copies. It offers nothing resembling advice about what a parent should actually put in a petition or parenting plan.

Every parental responsibility and time-sharing case with minor children carries the same two obligations statewide. Parents must file a parenting plan using Form 12.995(a), or its long-distance or safety-focused counterparts 12.995(b) and 12.995(c), and complete the Fla. Stat. 61.21 parenting course, generally within 45 days.

A new related family case, such as a paternity action or a dissolution that sets time-sharing, runs around $428 in filing costs in the Third Circuit. That figure covers opening a case, not every custody-related motion filed afterward. Suwannee County uses the same statewide e-filing login as every other Florida county, so documents can go in any time of day through myflcourtaccess.com. Route matters here. Married parents handle time-sharing as part of their chapter 61 divorce. Parents who were never married open a chapter 742 paternity action instead, and that case decides parental responsibility, time-sharing, and support for the first time.

Where custody cases are heard in Suwannee County, FL

Custody and time-sharing matters in Suwannee County, FL are handled by the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Suwannee County, with the county seat in Live Oak. 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 Suwannee 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 Suwannee 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 Suwannee County, FL.

Local notes for Suwannee County, FL

One building handles both filings and hearings in Suwannee County: the Suwannee County Courthouse, 200 South Ohio Avenue, Live Oak. A new case gets a docket number at intake, then moves to a Third Judicial Circuit family judge for scheduling and, eventually, a hearing.

Florida's mediation referral rule, Fla. Stat. 61.183, applies to contested parental responsibility disputes here just as it does everywhere else, with fees meant to follow the income scale in Fla. Stat. 44.108. The clerk's site does not publish a Suwannee County-specific fee page for the Third Circuit, so call the family division to confirm the current rate.

Filing fees run around $428 for the Third Circuit, but the clerk's office has the final word on the current amount, so verify before filing. Parents who cannot afford the fee can apply for civil indigent status under Fla. Stat. 57.082 to have it waived.

Official custody resources in Suwannee County, FL

Suwannee County Courthouse handles custody filings, located at 200 South Ohio Avenue, Live Oak 32064.

The filing fee is $428. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide system covering all 20 circuits including the Third Judicial Circuit.

Suwannee Clerk Family Law Handbook (PDF) (https://www.suwgov.org/wp-content/uploads/Family-Law-Handbook-2020-Revision-Clean-Version-March-3-20211-1.pdf) can help with procedure and paperwork. Verified live on the clerk's or circuit's current site.

• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Florida Statute 61.13, parental responsibility and time-sharing
• Form 12.995(a), Parenting Plan (PDF)
• Form 12.902(d), UCCJEA Affidavit (PDF)
• Florida Guardian ad Litem Program, local circuit finder
• FloridaLawHelp.org

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

Suwannee County, FL Child Custody FAQs