Family Court Motions and Hearings in Lafayette County, Florida

Lafayette County is one of Florida's smallest counties by population. Its Clerk's specific family-law and fee pages were not reliably reachable while researching this page. That makes the county courthouse itself, at 120 West Main Street in Mayo, and a direct phone call the more dependable starting point than an online search.

Because of that, the current filing fee for a family motion or dissolution petition in Lafayette was not confirmed here. Ask the Clerk's office directly before you prepare your paperwork.

Lafayette is part of the Third Judicial Circuit's shared family mediation program. Under Fla. Stat. 44.108, it's priced at $60 per person per session for combined household income under $50,000, and $120 per person per session between $50,000 and $100,000. Private mediation is generally expected above that, under Administrative Order 2009-001. Remote attendance and electronic signatures are allowed for these sessions, following COVID-era rule changes, which helps given how small and rural Lafayette is.

Filings can go through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com, even when a local self-help page is hard to find. A self-represented filer isn't limited to whatever the county's own site happens to have live at a given moment.

Where hearings are held in Lafayette County, FL

Family court hearings in Lafayette County, FL are held at the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Lafayette County, with the county seat in Mayo. Because courtroom assignments, remote appearance options, and local procedures change over time, use the Florida court clerk directory to confirm current details:

Find the Lafayette 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:

1. File a written motion stating the relief you are asking for, with a current Financial Affidavit if money or support is at issue.
2. Serve the motion on the other party or their attorney.
3. 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).
4. Attend mediation first if your circuit requires it for contested family law motions.
5. Attend the hearing and receive the court's order.

Local notes for Lafayette County, FL

Given the difficulty confirming details on Lafayette's own site, lean on the Third Judicial Circuit's own pages for mediation and administrative orders. Also use the statewide Florida Courts family law forms library for the 12.9xx form series, rather than assuming the county Clerk's site will have everything you need before you file.

If mediation is ordered, know your combined household income bracket beforehand. The $60 or $120 per-person, per-session Third Circuit fee depends on it. Ask specifically whether a remote session is available, given the distance many Lafayette residents may need to travel for an in-person one. Bring proof of income if you're unsure which bracket applies, since the mediator or Clerk's office may ask for it.

No Lafayette-specific remote-appearance policy for the family hearing itself, apart from mediation, was confirmed. If reaching Mayo is a hardship, raise that question directly with the Clerk's office or your assigned judicial assistant once a hearing date is set. Do this as early as possible, rather than close to the hearing itself.

Official hearing resources in Lafayette County, FL

Lafayette County Courthouse handles hearings filings, located at 120 West Main Street, Mayo 32066.

E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide for the Third Judicial Circuit.

The self-help center can help with procedure and paperwork. lafayetteclerk.com's inner pages (Court Information, Family Law, FAQ, Fees) were not reliably reachable; the site's root page loads but a specific family-law self-help URL was not confirmed.

• Lafayette County Clerk of Court
• Court Mediation, Third Judicial Circuit
• 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.

Lafayette County, FL Family Court Hearing FAQs