Family

Child support is financial support paid by one parent to the other for the benefit of their child(ren).

Alimony is financial support paid by one spouse to the other.

St. Johns County Clerk’s Office is the official record keeper of all court ordered payments directed to be made through the State Disbursement Unit. For additional information, please click here.

Pay Online:
https://fl.smartchildsupport.com/
https://www.paykidz.com/

Pay by Mail:
Florida State Disbursement Unit
PO Box 8500
Tallahassee, FL 32314-8500

To ensure proper credit and avoid processing delays, include on every mailed payment:

• Your case/depository number.
• Your name and the name of the person receiving the payment.
• Name of the county where the order was issued.

Inquire About Your Payment: If you have payment questions, you can contact the Florida State Disbursement Unit at (877) 769-0251. Please have your case number and/or social security number available when calling. If you need a certified payment history, you may contact the Clerk’s Office.

Purge Payments: Purge payments may be made in person at the Clerk’s Office. Purge payments must be made by cash, cashier’s check, money order, or certified check. Personal checks and credit/debit cards are NOT accepted when making a purge payment at the Clerk’s Office.

Please note: The Clerk’s Office only accepts purge payments, which are ordered by the Court. All other payments must be mailed to the Florida State Disbursement Unit, P.O. Box 8500, Tallahassee, FL 32314-8500, or paid online at: https://www.paykidz.com/

If you are being represented by the Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement, and have questions regarding the status of your child support case, you may contact them at (850) 488-5437.

There are two types of Custody:

• Petition for Temporary custody by extended Family
  • This process is used to obtain temporary custody of a child(ren) by an extended family member only.
• Petition For Concurrent Custody by extended Family
  • This process is used to obtain concurrent custody of a child(ren). This should not be used if you are a parent seeking to establish parental responsibility or time-sharing with a child or children. “Concurrent custody” means that an eligible extended family member is awarded custodial rights to care for a child or children concurrently with the child(ren)’s parent or
    parents.

NOTE: If one of the minor children’s parents’ objects to the Petition, the court shall grant the Petition only upon a finding, by clear and convincing evidence, that the minor children’s parent or parents are unfit to provide for the care and control of the children.

Dissolution of Marriage is the legal term for a divorce. To obtain a dissolution of marriage in the State of Florida, at least one of the parties must have been a resident of this State for a minimum of six months prior to filing the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. Although it is not necessary to have an attorney, prior to entering into any agreement or signing any pleading each party may wish to consult with an attorney to ensure that his or her rights are being protected and to be advised of the legal and tax related consequences of signing any document.

There are two types of Dissolution of Marriages:

Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage – Form 12.901(A)

• You and/or your spouse have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing for a dissolution in Florida.
• You and your spouse agree that the marriage cannot be saved.
• You and your spouse have no minor or dependent child(ren) together and the wife is not now pregnant.
• You and your spouse have worked out how the two of you will divide the things that you both own (your assets) and who will pay what part of the money you both owe (your liabilities), and you are both satisfied with this division. 
• You are not seeking support (alimony) from your spouse, and vice versa.
• Neither you nor your spouse wish to have any financial information other than that provided in the financial affidavits.
• You are willing to give up your right to trial and appeal.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you must file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage one of forms 12.901(B)(1,2, or 3)

Dissolution of marriage involves resolving issues such as the division of martial assets and debts, child custody and support, spousal support and other matters, depending on the circumstances of the marriage. You and/or your spouse have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing for a dissolution in Florida. Although it is not necessary to have an attorney, prior to entering into any agreement or signing any pleading each party may wish to consult with an attorney to ensure that his or her rights are being protected and to be advised of the legal and tax related consequences of signing any document.

Injunction for Protection

Civil Injunctions Brochure for Petitioner

Civil Injunctions Brochure for Respondent

An Injunctions is an order of protection to protect a party from physical violence, threats of physical violence that may be putting someone in imminent danger of bodily harm, or stalking. Injunctions for Protection may be applied for at the St. Johns County Courthouse, 4010 Lewis Speedway, in room 137B Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. After 5:00 PM, for emergency protection, Domestic Violence injunctions can be filed by contacting the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 824-8304.

If you should have any questions or need any further assistance, please call the Clerk’s Injunction Office at (904) 819-3600.

If you are in fear of your life and in need of shelter, contact your appropriate Law Enforcement Agency and the Betty Griffin House. They can provide you with shelter and refer you to an attorney to represent you in court at the time of the hearing. The Court Advocates Office is located next to the Injunction Office and their number is: (904) 827-5633.

If you are filing on behalf of a minor child or the petition involves a minor child that will need to testify at the hearing, you will need to properly motion the court to allow the minor child to testify. A hearing must be heard on your motion prior to your hearing on your temporary injunction.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence includes assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any other criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death to petitioner by any of petitioner’s family or household members. 

Repeat Violence

Repeat violence includes two (2) incidents of violence, threats of violence, or stalking committed by the respondent, one of which must have been within six (6) months of the filing of the petition, which are directed against the petitioner or the petitioner’s immediate family member. Any person, who is the victim of repeat violence, or the parent or legal guardian of any minor child who is living at home and who seeks an injunction for protection against repeat violence on behalf of the minor child, has standing in the circuit court to file a sworn petition for an injunction for protection against repeat violence.

Dating Violence

Dating violence between individuals who have had or still have a continuing and significant relationship of a romantic or intimate nature. Any person who is the victim of dating violence and has reasonable cause to believe he or she is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of another act of dating violence, or any person who has reasonable cause to believe he or she is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of another act of dating violence, or the parent or legal guardian of any minor child who is living at home and who seeks an injunction for protection against dating violence on behalf of that minor child.

1. A dating relationship must have existed within the past six (6) months
2. The nature of the relationship must have been characterized by the expectation of affection or sexual involvement between the parties
3. The frequency and type of interaction between the persons involved in the
   relationship must have included that the persons have been involved over time and on a continuous basis during the relationship

Sexual Violence

If you are a victim of sexual violence or the parent or legal guardian of a minor child who is living at home and is a victim of sexual violence which includes but not limited to:

1. Sexual battery
2. Lewd or lascivious acts
3. Any other forcible felony wherein a sexual act is committed or attempted.

To request an injunction, you must have reported the sexual violence to a law enforcement agency and be cooperating in the criminal proceeding if there is one. It does not matter whether criminal charges based on the sexual violence have been filed, reduced, or dismissed by the state attorney’s office. You may also seek an injunction for protection against sexual violence if the respondent was sent to prison for committing one of the sexual violence crimes listed above against you or your minor child living at home and respondent is out of prison or is getting out of prison within 90 days of your petition. Attach the notice of inmate release to your petition.

Stalking Violence

Stalking includes the repeated following, harassment, or cyberstalking of one person by another. Cyberstalk means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or using electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person, and serving no legitimate purpose.

NOTICE OF THE RIGHT OF ANY AFFECTED PARTY TO REQUEST THE ADDITION OF INFORMATION TO THE SEARCHABLE DATABASE –SERENA’S LAW

Any affected person has a right to request that a county recorder or clerk of the court add information to the searchable database on the county recorder’s or clerk of the court’s official website if that information involves the identity of a respondent against whom a final judgment for an injunction for the protection of a minor under F. S. 741.30, F. S. 784.046, or F. S. 784.0485, is entered, unless the respondent is a minor. Information related to the identity of each respondent against whom a final judgment for an injunction for the protection of a minor under F. S. 741.30, F. S. 784.046, or F. S. 784.0485 is entered is available for search by the general public.

Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to access the searchable database and how to search for this information. If you are familiar with searching the official records, click here to begin your search.

The request must be in writing and contain the case number. To make a request, contact us by mail or in-person at 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084, or by email at injunctions@stjohnsclerk.com.

This process is used when an adult or family wants the court to change his or her name. This is not to be used in connection with a dissolution of marriage or for adoption of child(ren). If you want a change of name because of a dissolution of marriage or adoption of child(ren) that is not yet final, the change of name should be requested as part of that case.

All name change petitions except where a former name is being restored requires the petitioner fingerprints. To schedule an appointment to be fingerprinted, call the St. Johns County Bailiff’s Office at (904) 209-1981.

NOTE: NAME CHANGE FOR MINORS – if the other parent refuses or fail to sign the consent form for a minor’s name change petition they must be formally served with notice of the petition by the Sheriff’s Office.

A Petition to Determine Paternity (form 12.983(A)) is used to ask the court to establish paternity, time sharing, and/or child support of a minor child(ren).

Although it is not necessary to have an attorney, prior to signing any pleading each party may wish to consult with an attorney to ensure that his or her rights are being protected and consequences of signing any document.

The Supreme Court of Florida and Florida Family Law have created general information packets regarding injunctions for your reference and use. These form packets are for parties who wish to represent themselves in their injunction proceedings. TurboCourt converts these packets into a virtual interview and generates the forms for you.

IMPORTANT: This is an interview and print service, only. This process DOES NOT file your packet electronically. You will need to print your completed court forms and file them with the Clerk by mail or in-person.