How to File for Child Custody in Florida
It is 9:00 p.m. The house is quiet. A child is asleep down the hall. Two parents sit at a kitchen table, staring at paperwork and asking the same question. How do we file for child custody in Florida?
This moment is increasingly common in Florida households. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has a divorce rate of about 3 divorces per 1,000 people, placing it among states with higher rates of marital separation. These legal dissolutions often require courts to establish parenting plans and time-sharing schedules.

