Updated August 2026
Family Court Motions and Hearings in Hillsborough County, Florida
A plain-language guide to asking for a family court hearing in Hillsborough County, FL, from the motion you file at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County to deadlines and what to expect, prepared without hiring an attorney.
Most Hillsborough County family law motions are heard at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa. A second location in Plant City handles some family filings and runs its own weekly forms clinic. In Florida, filing a motion does not automatically get you a hearing date. A self-represented party in Hillsborough must contact the assigned judge's judicial assistant, whose contact information appears on that judge's own page in the Thirteenth Circuit's online Judicial Directory.
The Judicial Directory also handles remote-hearing access. There is no single shared Zoom link for the family division. Instead, each judge's own Judicial Directory page lists that judge's meeting ID and password, so your hearing notice may send you there for details. Phone-only access works too: dial 1-786-635-1003 and enter the meeting ID and password when prompted. Early arrivals wait in a virtual waiting room until the case is called, and recording the hearing is not allowed.
Bay Area Legal Services runs a Family Forms Clinic that helps self-represented litigants fill out court-approved paperwork on a walk-in basis. It's open at Room 210 of the Edgecomb Courthouse, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Plant City Courthouse, Room 2085, on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteer attorneys and law students staff the clinic, but they do not give legal advice or appear at a hearing on anyone's behalf.
Some contested motions in the Thirteenth Circuit get referred to the Mediation and Diversion Services office before a hearing date is set. Whether this applies to a given motion depends on the assigned division.
Where hearings are held in Hillsborough County, FL
Family court hearings in Hillsborough County, FL are held at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County, with the county seat in Tampa. Because courtroom assignments, remote appearance options, and local procedures change over time, use the Florida court clerk directory to confirm current details:
Find the Hillsborough County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)
How a family court hearing works in Florida
In Florida, a party who wants the court to decide something while a family case is pending, such as temporary time-sharing, temporary support, or exclusive use of the home, files a written motion under the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure. Motions for temporary financial relief generally require a current Financial Affidavit (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c)). The core steps are:
- File a written motion stating the relief you are asking for, with a current Financial Affidavit if money or support is at issue.
- Serve the motion on the other party or their attorney.
- Coordinate a hearing date, following your circuit's local procedure for setting family law motions (some circuits use a uniform motion calendar; others require you to contact the judicial assistant).
- Attend mediation first if your circuit requires it for contested family law motions.
- Attend the hearing and receive the court's order.
Local notes for Hillsborough County, FL
Zoom credentials in Hillsborough live on each judge's own Judicial Directory page, not on one circuit-wide link. Save the notice of hearing for your case, since it should name the assigned judge, and look that judge up directly instead of searching for a generic family division Zoom room.
The Family Forms Clinic's walk-in hours are limited: Wednesday and Friday at the Edgecomb Courthouse, Tuesday in Plant City. Call (813) 864-2280, option 2, to confirm current days and times before you make a trip, especially if a hearing deadline is close.
Most family paperwork in Hillsborough goes through the statewide e-filing portal, but certain filings still cannot be e-filed. Foreign judgment registrations, service-by-publication requests, and registry deposits must go to the Clerk on paper. Plan for an in-person step if your case involves any of these.
Official hearing resources in Hillsborough County, FL
George E. Edgecomb Courthouse handles hearings filings, located at 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa 33602. Plant City Courthouse at 301 N. Michigan Ave., Room 2085 handles Hosts a weekly family forms clinic; confirm with the clerk whether a given hearing itself is calendared here or downtown at the Edgecomb Courthouse..
The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Most documents are e-filed through the statewide portal; certain filings, such as foreign judgment registrations, service-by-publication requests, and registry deposits, must still be submitted on paper directly to the Clerk.
Family Forms Clinic (Bay Area Legal Services) (https://www.fljud13.org/Resources/Self-Help/Family-Law-Self-Help-Programs) can help with procedure and paperwork. Walk-in clinic at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, Wednesdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., (813) 864-2280 option 2. A second clinic runs at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Ave., Room 2085, Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteer attorneys and law students help complete court-approved forms but do not give legal advice or appear in court.
- Thirteenth Judicial Circuit - Family Law Self-Help Programs
- Thirteenth Judicial Circuit - Remote Court Hearings
- Thirteenth Judicial Circuit - Judicial Directory
- Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court
- 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.
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Hillsborough County, FL Family Court Hearing FAQs
Where do I go for a family court hearing in Hillsborough County?
Most Hillsborough family law hearings happen at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa. Some family matters are handled at the Plant City Courthouse instead. Check your notice of hearing for the exact location and courtroom before you go.
How do I get a hearing date on a motion in Hillsborough County?
Hillsborough has no online self-scheduling portal for family motions. After you file, look up the assigned judge in the Thirteenth Circuit's online Judicial Directory to find that judge's judicial assistant, then contact them to arrange a hearing date and time.
How do I find the Zoom link for my Hillsborough family hearing?
Check the Judicial Directory page for the judge assigned to your case. The Thirteenth Circuit posts each judge's own meeting ID and password there instead of using one shared link. Phone access is also available at 1-786-635-1003 with the same meeting ID and password.
What is the Family Forms Clinic in Hillsborough County?
Bay Area Legal Services runs this walk-in clinic, where volunteer attorneys and law students help complete court-approved family law forms. It's open Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Edgecomb Courthouse, Room 210, and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Plant City Courthouse, Room 2085.
Is mediation required before a contested family hearing in Hillsborough County?
Sometimes, depending on the assigned division and motion type. The Thirteenth Circuit's Mediation and Diversion Services office handles family mediation referrals. Ask the assigned division if your specific contested motion needs mediation before a hearing date gets set.
Can I file a Hillsborough family document without e-filing?
Most family paperwork goes through the statewide e-filing portal, but some documents must be filed on paper directly with the Clerk: foreign judgment registrations, service-by-publication requests, and registry deposits. Everything else can generally be e-filed or filed on paper at either courthouse.
This page is general information about Florida family court hearing procedure in Hillsborough County, FL, not legal advice for your situation. Deadlines, local rules, and courtroom procedures change; always confirm current details with the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Hillsborough County or the official Florida family court self-help program resources. Virdix is not a law firm and is not a substitute for an attorney.
Preparing for a hearing in Hillsborough County, FL
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