Family Court Motions and Hearings in Polk County, Florida

Family law hearings in Polk County no longer happen automatically at the Polk County Courthouse in Bartow. Some case types have shifted to the Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred. Check the exact address on your notice of hearing before you go; it matters more here than in many other counties. First, though, you have to get a hearing on the calendar, and Florida courts do not schedule one automatically once you file a motion.

The Tenth Judicial Circuit, which also covers Highlands and Hardee counties, has no online self-scheduling tool for self-represented family litigants. Start with the Polk County Clerk's Self-Help Program at (863) 534-4015; staff can point you to the right next step. The judge's office sets the actual hearing date and time.

Two circuit-wide administrative orders govern what happens once a hearing is set. AO 5-51.0 is the Standing Order for Contested Dissolution of Marriage Actions. AO 5-20.8 covers how the family law division runs generally. Both apply in Polk the same way they apply across the rest of the Tenth Circuit.

Self-help packets cover dissolution with or without children or property, simplified dissolution, paternity, name changes, and civil contempt or enforcement. You can buy them at both the Bartow and Northeast office locations. Polk also links to TurboCourt, for anyone who wants to prepare dissolution paperwork online before filing.

Where hearings are held in Polk County, FL

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

Find the Polk 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 Polk County, FL

Some Polk family hearings have moved from the historic Bartow courthouse to the Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred. Don't assume the courthouse address from an earlier stage of your case still applies later. Read the notice of hearing every time.

The Self-Help Center's packet list is broad. Call (863) 534-4015 before you drive to either office, and confirm which packet matches your motion and where it's currently sold.

For a remote hearing, start with the Tenth Circuit's Zoom and Teams tutorial videos. Confirm from your notice of hearing, not assumption, whether the assigned judge allows a remote appearance for your motion.

Official hearing resources in Polk County, FL

Polk County Courthouse handles hearings filings, located at 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow 33830. Northeast Government Center at Lake Alfred, FL handles Some family law hearings have been moving from the Bartow courthouse to this location; the current notice of hearing on a specific case is the only reliable way to confirm where a given hearing will actually be held..

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Polk also offers TurboCourt, an interactive tool for preparing dissolution paperwork with or without children before filing.

Polk County Clerk Self-Help Center (https://www.polkclerkfl.gov/272/Self-Help-Center-DRAFT/1000) can help with procedure and paperwork. Covers dissolution of marriage with or without children, with or without property, and simplified dissolution, plus paternity, name changes, and civil contempt or enforcement. Self-Help Program phone (863) 534-4015, staffed weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; packets available for purchase at both the Bartow and Northeast office locations. AO 5-20.8 (Tenth Circuit Administrative Order - Provisions for the Family Law Division) applies; see https://jud10.flcourts.org/self-help-pro-se. AO 5-51.0 (Tenth Circuit Administrative Order - Standing Order for Contested Dissolution of Marriage Actions) applies; see https://jud10.flcourts.org/self-help-pro-se.

• Polk County Clerk - Self-Help Center
• Tenth Judicial Circuit - Self-Help Information
• Florida Courts - Florida State Courts System
• 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.

Polk County, FL Family Court Hearing FAQs