Florida Parenting Class and the Twenty Florida Judicial Circuits

Although it is mandatory to complete a parenting class in the state of Florida prior to finalization of your divorce decree, it is important to be aware of some of the limitations of divorce parenting classes.  First, it is necessary for the class to be approved by the Florida Department of children and families (Florida DCF).  Even if you have located a class approved by the Florida DCS, it is still important to understand whether or not your judicial circuit, and/or judge, will accept your parenting course.

Throughout the state of Florida online parent education and family stabilization courses are widely accepted. The following judicial circuits are known to accept Florida DCF approved online classes: 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th .  These judicial circuits represent the following counties:

Alachua

Baker

Bay

Bradford

Broward

Calhoun

Citrus

Columbia

Dade

Dixie

Flagler

Franklin

Gadsen

Gilchrist

Gulf

Hamilton

Hardee

Hernando

Highlands

Hillsborough

Holmes

Jackson

Jefferson,

Lafayette

Lake Marion

Leon,

Levy

Liberty

Madison

Monroe

Orange

Osceola

Palm Beach

Polk

Putnam

St. Johns

Sumter

Suwannee

Taylor

Union

Volusia

Wakulla

Washington

Some judicial circuits as a whole do not accept online parent education and family stabilization courses. That is, unless there are circumstances that are approved by the judge your case, you will not be allowed to complete your parent education course online.  Examples of judicial circuits that do not accept online parenting courses include the 4^th and the 12^th Judicial Circuits.  The 4^th Judicial Circuit includes Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties, while the 12^th Judicial Circuit includes DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.  The rest of the circuits (1^st, 6^th, 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th) vary across judges within the circuit, and it is wise to check with your judge’s clerk for online course acceptability prior to taking a course.  Included below is a listing of counties do not automatically accept online parenting classes.

Brevard

Charlotte

Collier

DeSoto

Escambia

Escambia

Glades

Hendry

Indian River

Lee

Manatee

Martin

Okaloosa

Okaloosa

Okeechobee

Pasco

Pinellas

Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa

Sarasota

Seminole

St. Lucie,

Walton

Walton

The ease and flexibility of an online parent education family stabilization course makes it a preferred means of meeting Florida court requirements.   You are able to take an online course at your own pace, and in the comfort of your own home.  An online parenting class is typically less expensive compared to an in-person class.  However, in spite of any convenience and/or savings that an online course may offer, it is important to understand whether or not your judicial circuit will accept a Florida DCF approved online class.  The listings in this article provide information shared by employees of the 20 judicial circuits in the state of Florida. However, it appears that there is a greater movement toward the acceptance of online parenting courses throughout the state, and information within this article is not guaranteed for it’s accuracy given the changing landscape of online course acceptability.    If there are any discrepancies between the information contained in this article, and information shared with you by the clerk of your court, please don’t hesitate to contact me through this website.