Filing a Florida Family Law Case

The Supreme Court of Florida provides the following information on filing a family law case in Florida:

Filing a case. A case begins with the filing of a petition. A petition is a written request to the court for some type of legal action. The person who originally asks for legal action is called the petitioner and remains the petitioner throughout the case.

A petition is given to the clerk of the circuit court, whose office is usually located in the county courthouse or a branch of the county courthouse. A case number is assigned and an official court file is opened. Delivering the petition to the clerk’s office is called filing a case. A filing fee is usually required.

Once a case has been filed, a copy must be given to (served on) the respondent. The person against whom the original legal action is being requested is called the respondent, because he or she is expected to respond to the petition. The respondent remains the respondent throughout the case.

If you have questions regarding your Florida family law matter, and you wish to schedule a consultation with a Tampa Bay family law attorney, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form.