Family Court Motions and Hearings in Seminole County, Florida

Seminole County has its own family pro se page within the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit's website, separate from the page Brevard uses. A self-represented filer here may find Seminole-specific instructions instead of general circuit content only. File motions at the Seminole Civil Courthouse, 301 N. Park Avenue in Sanford. A family motion currently costs $408.

Requesting a hearing in Seminole follows the same circuit-wide online system Brevard uses. A filer requests a hearing for their case type: divorce, paternity, modification, temporary custody, or a separate path for name change and adoption. A case coordinator reviews the file and emails about missing forms before setting a date.

The circuit keeps Attorney Scheduling and Self-Help Scheduling as separate portals. A self-represented Seminole filer should use the self-help version, not the one built for attorneys.

Seminole cases can also go through the circuit's Mediation Programs, where a court-appointed mediator helps parties negotiate a settlement directly. Some temporary or post-judgment matters may instead go to a general magistrate under statewide Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.490. Seminole accepts filings through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com.

Where hearings are held in Seminole County, FL

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

Find the Seminole 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 Seminole County, FL

Start with Seminole's own family pro se page instead of assuming Brevard's version applies. The Eighteenth Circuit maintains these pages separately, and Seminole's page may carry different, specific instructions.

Use the online hearing-request system and pick the case-type path that matches your filing. Watch for a follow-up email from the case coordinator flagging any missing forms before your hearing date gets set.

Confirm you're using the Self-Help Scheduling portal, not Attorney Scheduling. The site doesn't publish a Seminole-specific mediation fee schedule, so call the Clerk's office directly to ask about cost if your case gets referred.

Seminole County sits in the same circuit as Brevard, so the Eighteenth Circuit's administrative orders govern both, but hearings for Seminole cases happen at the Sanford civil courthouse rather than in Viera. Check which judge is assigned to your case in the clerk's online docket before contacting a judicial assistant, since each family law division in Sanford keeps its own calendar and its own way of setting motion hearings. A short uncontested motion can often be handled without live testimony, while anything contested about time-sharing or support is more likely to get an evidentiary setting.

Official hearing resources in Seminole County, FL

Seminole Civil Courthouse handles hearings filings, located at 301 N. Park Avenue, Sanford 32771.

The filing fee is $408. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, statewide for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit.

Eighteenth Circuit Seminole Family Pro Se (https://flcourts18.org/sem-family-pro-se/) can help with procedure and paperwork. County-specific pro se page for Seminole, distinct from Brevard's own version, within the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit's site.

• Seminole County Clerk of the Circuit Court
• Seminole Family Pro Se, Eighteenth Judicial Circuit
• Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Courts
• 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.

Seminole County, FL Family Court Hearing FAQs