Updated August 2026
Family Court Motions and Hearings in Leon County, Florida
A plain-language guide to asking for a family court hearing in Leon County, FL, from the motion you file at the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Leon County to deadlines and what to expect, prepared without hiring an attorney.
Leon County has something most of its Second Judicial Circuit neighbors don't: the Clerk's Low Bono Self-Help Center. Run in partnership with the Tallahassee Bar Association, it offers actual attorney consultations, not just downloadable forms, for family law matters other than restraining orders. This applies to anyone filing a family law motion or seeking a hearing in the county. Filings happen at the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe Street, in downtown Tallahassee.
Filing for dissolution of marriage, including an annulment, currently costs $397.50. The Clerk's fee page notes this figure was updated as of January 2025. A separate $10.50 fee applies later, to record the final judgment of dissolution.
Leon's Self-Help Center actively promotes e-filing for self-represented litigants through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. This lets you submit a motion or a response without a trip downtown. The low-bono attorney consultations, though, are typically an in-person or scheduled service.
Leon and the wider Second Circuit publish no breakdown of how a family motion hearing gets its date and time assigned. After filing, contact the Low Bono Self-Help Center or the judicial assistant tied to your assigned division as the practical next step.
Where hearings are held in Leon County, FL
Family court hearings in Leon County, FL are held at the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Leon County, with the county seat in Tallahassee. Because courtroom assignments, remote appearance options, and local procedures change over time, use the Florida court clerk directory to confirm current details:
Find the Leon 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 Leon County, FL
The Low Bono Self-Help Center sells or provides dissolution of marriage form packets directly. This can be a useful starting point before you attempt a statewide 12.9xx form on your own. If your case has any complexity, use the attorney consultation option too. It goes beyond what a purely self-service form library offers.
A Leon family case can still be referred to mediation before a contested hearing, under statewide Fla. Stat. 44.102 and Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.740. Rule 12.490 also permits certain temporary or post-judgment matters to be heard by a general magistrate rather than a circuit judge. The Self-Help Center page does not post an itemized mediation fee schedule specific to Leon. Ask about the fee when a referral occurs.
This page found no confirmed remote-appearance option for Leon family hearings. If attending in person at the downtown Tallahassee courthouse is a hardship, ask the Self-Help Center or your judicial assistant whether a phone or video option applies to your specific hearing.
Official hearing resources in Leon County, FL
Leon County Courthouse handles hearings filings, located at 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee 32301.
The filing fee is $397.50. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide for the Second Judicial Circuit. Leon's own Self-Help Center page affirmatively promotes e-filing for pro se litigants.
Leon Clerk Low Bono Self-Help Center (https://leonclerk.com/divisions/self-help-center/) can help with procedure and paperwork. A partnership between the Clerk's office and the Tallahassee Bar Association. Offers family law (excluding restraining orders), small claims, and eviction self-help assistance, attorney consultations, and downloadable or purchasable form packets including dissolution of marriage.
- Leon County Clerk of the Circuit Court
- Low Bono Self-Help Center, Leon Clerk
- Fees, Leon County Clerk
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
- Florida Law Help
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
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Leon County, FL Family Court Hearing FAQs
Where do I file a family law motion in Leon County?
File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe Street, #100, Tallahassee FL 32301, or file electronically through myflcourtaccess.com. The Clerk's Low Bono Self-Help Center also helps with forms and attorney consultations.
How much does it cost to file for dissolution or a family motion in Leon County?
Dissolution of marriage, including annulment, currently costs $397.50, per a January 2025 fee schedule update. A separate $10.50 fee applies later to record the final judgment. A motion filed within an existing case may carry a different fee.
What is the Low Bono Self-Help Center in Leon County?
It's a partnership between the Clerk's office and the Tallahassee Bar Association. Together they offer family law self-help assistance (excluding restraining orders), plus small claims and eviction help, actual attorney consultations, and downloadable or purchasable form packets, including for dissolution of marriage.
Can I e-file my Leon County family case?
Yes. Leon's Self-Help Center actively promotes e-filing for self-represented litigants through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. You can file motions and responses without a trip to the courthouse.
Will my Leon County family case go to mediation before a hearing?
It can. Statewide Fla. Stat. 44.102 and Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.740 authorize mediation referral in contested family matters. The Self-Help Center page does not post a specific fee schedule for Leon mediation. Ask about it when a referral is made.
Can I appear by phone or video for a hearing in Leon County?
This page found no confirmed remote-appearance policy for Leon family hearings. If in-person attendance downtown is a hardship, ask the Low Bono Self-Help Center or your judicial assistant whether a remote option applies to your hearing type.
This page is general information about Florida family court hearing procedure in Leon County, FL, not legal advice for your situation. Deadlines, local rules, and courtroom procedures change; always confirm current details with the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Leon 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.
Hearing guides for nearby counties
Preparing for a hearing in Leon County, FL
Virdix guides you through the Florida Supreme Court approved family law forms your hearing needs, so your paperwork is complete and consistent before you file.
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