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The Family Law Department of the Clerk’s Office handles the following types of cases:
Detailed instructions for each case type can be found below on this page. All family law forms can be found here: Family Law Forms.
By Florida law, the Clerk’s Office is prohibited from giving legal advice. However you may wish to speak with the 4th Judicial Circuit’s Family Court Services for assistance before filing your petition.
When you are ready to file, you have four options:
To start a divorce proceeding, you must file the court forms pertaining to your situation. See the Fees section, below, for the current filing fee and accepted forms of payment. Again, please note that the Clerk’s Office is prohibited from giving legal advice or any assistance with the completion of forms.
When completing the forms, please include your name, address, email and telephone number on every document you file. The forms need to be completed, signed and notarized where applicable.
If you’re filing for a simplified dissolution, please note that all of the following requirements must be met. Both parties must sign the forms and appear before the judge for the final hearing.
Requirements:
If you do not meet the requirements to file a Simple Divorce, above, you must file a Regular Divorce (Dissolution of Marriage).
The Dissolution of Marriage applies if:
Of course, other legal issues and tax-related consequences might affect your actions. For these reasons, you may choose to hire an attorney to represent you in this type of case.
If you decide to represent yourself in these matters, be aware that you will be required to prepare your own legal documents and otherwise proceed according to Florida law and rules of court.
If the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is contested by either spouse and the issues cannot be resolved, both sides will have to attend a mediation hearing.
If you have a dependent minor child, you should know that both parties are required to attend a parent-education course. Once both parties have completed the course and their certificates have been turned in, you will be able to schedule a final hearing. The parties are responsible for the course fees.
Establishing the paternity of a child means finding out who the father is. Doing this may require scientific testing (Florida Statutes 742.12). If you want to determine the paternity of a child, you may file a case with the Clerk’s Office. Just keep in mind that the paternity case must be handled in the circuit court where the Petitioner resides or in the county where the Respondent resides.
The court will decide any paternity issues and will determine the ability of a spouse to support the child. In addition, other fees or costs may be awarded. These can include medical, hospital/childbirth expenses, or attorney fees. The court may also order an appropriate parenting plan and time-sharing schedule.
Parties may be required to submit to scientific testing to show a probability of paternity and to attend a Putting Children First Course (see Florida Statute 742.12).
To change your name outside of marriage or divorce (if not stated in divorce decree), you must file a petition for change of name. This petition must be filed in the county of the petitioner's or family’s residence. See the Fees section, below, for the current filing fee and accepted payments. It is important to include your name, address and telephone number on every document you file with the court. The Clerk’s Office is prevented by law from offering legal advice. If you think you need legal assistance, you may want to consider speaking with an attorney.
Before the final court hearing, you’ll need to have a set of fingerprints taken by the Sheriff's Office to be used for a criminal history background check. If the name change is for a minor, the fingerprints of both parents, not the minor, must be taken and submitted.
As mentioned above, before a hearing can be scheduled for your case, you must have your fingerprints scanned. This can be done either by a law-enforcement agency like the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or by another Livescan fingerprinting service provider authorized to submit fingerprints electronically.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is located in the Police Memorial Building (Public Counter) at 501 East Bay Street. Contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for more information on the electronic fingerprinting process.
Other family-law cases handled by our office include the following:
Please note that we treat all adoptions and termination of parental rights as confidential. All records regarding the adoption, including the original birth certificate, are confidential and subject to inspection only by court order.
As a procedural note, every document filed in a case will be entered into the Case Docket. For your convenience, case information can be accessed online through the Clerk Online Resource ePortal (CORE). If you have questions or concerns about CORE, we invite you to email the CORE Helpdesk at CORE@duvalclerk.com. Please note that you must register to use CORE.
Electronic filing (e-Filing) is now required for attorneys in Florida. For more information about e-filing, please visit the E-filing Portal. If you need help getting started, please visit our Electronic Court Access page here.
Family law forms can also be found at Family Court Services Department, Room 2150 of the Duval County Courthouse.
Self-help forms can be downloaded from the Family Court Services or https://www.flcourts.org/.
| Family Law - Fee Schedule *Fees include admin fee* | ||
| Fee Description | Amount w/o Summons | With Summons |
| Administrative Fee (including Indigent) | $12.00 | |
| Dissolution of Marriage (including annulments) | $421.00 | $431.00 |
| Simplified Dissolution of Marriage (Both Husband/Wife has to sign petition) |
$421.00 | |
| Counter-petition - Dissolution of Marriage | $295.00 | $305.00 |
| Adoptions (includes sealing of court file) | $455.00 | $465.00 |
| Emergency Child Pick Up Orders | $301.00 (new case) $50.00 (ext. case) |
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| Name Change | $413.00 | $423.00 |
| Foreign Judgment (Dissolution) | $463.00 | $473.00 |
| Foreign Judgment (Custody) | $455.00 | $465.00 |
| Foreign Judgment (Paternity) | $355.00 | $365.00 |
| Foreign Judgment (Support) | $355.00 | $365.00 |
| Paternity Actions | $313.00 | $323.00 |
| Petition for Delayed Birth Certificate | $413.00 | |
| Petition to Establish Timesharing Only | $12.00 | $32.00 (two summons: DOR/Ind.) |
| Petition to Establish Parental Responsibility & Time Sharing | $313.00 | $323.00 |
| Petition for Temporary Custody | $413.00 | $423.00 |
| Petition to Ratify | $313.00 | $323.00 |
| Petition for Termination of Parental Rights | $455.00 | |
| Petition Superseding Child Support - other relief (Modification) | $313.00 | $333.00 (two summons: DOR/Ind.) |
| Petition/Motion for Emergency Pick Up Order | $301.00 | |
| Reopen Family Law or Civil Actions | $50.00 | $60.00 (one summons) |
| Reopen Family Law or Civil Actions | $50.00 | $70.00 (two summons: DOR/Ind.) |
| Mediation (combined income $0 to $49,999) - per person / per session | $60.00 | |
| Mediation (combined income $50,000 & above) - per person / per session | $120.00 | |
| Summons (per issuance) | $10.00 | |
| Subpoena (per issuance) | $2.00 | |
| Notice of Action (per issuance) | $10.00 | |
| Certified Copies | $1.00 per page + $2.00 certify | |
| Copies | $1.00 per page | |
| Deputy Clerk Sign & Seal | $2.00 per signature | |
| Sheriff Service Fee (payable to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office) | $40.00 per summons | |
*For your convenience, additional information concerning Florida family laws, opinions and forms may be found at www.flcourts.org. The Florida Supreme Court website may be found at www.floridasupremecourt.org.
Self-help forms can be downloaded from the FlCourts.org Family Law Forms website. If you need additional help, you can research the process at your local library, at the FlCourts.org Self Help website, you may seek the advice of an attorney.
You may file for a Dissolution of Marriage without an attorney. Self-help forms can be downloaded from Family Court Services. You can learn more about the procedure by researching it at your local library, or at the FlCourts.org Self Help website.
Section 61.19, Florida Statutes, states that no final judgment of dissolution may be entered until at least 20 days have elapsed from the date of filing the original petition. Please consult the statutes for further information.
Yes, as long as you meet the residency requirement. Section 61.021 Florida Statutes states "To obtain a dissolution of marriage, one of the parties to the marriage must reside in the State of Florida for six months before the filing of the petition."
You can request your copy of the judgment either in person or in writing, please contact the Official Records and Research Department.
Yes. The Legal Aid Service in Duval County is available by contacting:
Jacksonville Area Legal Aide (JALA)
126 West Adams Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 356-8371
Yes. Parent classes are available through at:
Hope Haven Children’s Clinic and Family Center
4600 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: (904) 346-5100
First Coast Behavior Solutions
Email: parenting.fcsb@gmail.com
Phone: (904) 200-7979
Jewish Family & Community Services
Email: coparenting@jfcsjax.org
Phone: (904) 394-5865
You will be assigned a court date once all of your papers have been completed and filed. If you have served the other party via Summons, the Family Law Department must have the Original Summons and the Return of Service filed. The person that was served the documents has a total of 20 calendars days (excluding holidays) to respond to the court in writing. This 20 day period begins the day after the party is served and lasts until 5:00 p.m. on the 20th day. If that person does not respond within the time frame, you will need to file a Non-Military Affidavit and a Motion for Default with the court, and you will then be able to request a court date.
No one can help you fill out the forms except for an Attorney or Paralegal. If you have questions about which forms need to be filed, you may contact Family Court Services at (904)255-1060.
All fees, including the filing fees, are non-refundable.
File a motion with the Court to appear by phone. That motion will be forwarded to the Judge who is hearing your case. The Court will issue an order either granting or denying your motion.
If you are unable to pay the filing fee(s) for the case, you may complete an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status, available in the Family Law Department. There is no fee for the form. If you are determined to be indigent, the filing fee(s) will be waived. However, the $12.00 administration fee is still applied.
No. All names can be changed by completing one form. This should be completed as part of your case.
No.
You must file a petition to ask the court to establish paternity, a parenting plan, time-sharing schedule and/or support of a minor child. You may purchase the forms at any Clerk's office. Please contact us at the number below for more information.
Monday through Friday (excluding holidays): 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Duval County Clerk of Courts
Attn: FAMILY LAW DEPARTMENT
501 West Adams Street, Room 2474
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 255-2000
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Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
