Flagler County Family Court Case Records

Flagler County family court records are kept at the Clerk of Court office in Bunnell. The county sits on Florida's east coast between St. Johns and Volusia counties. The 7th Judicial Circuit handles all family law matters here. Cases include divorce, child custody, adoption, and domestic violence injunctions. The Clerk maintains these records and provides public access as required by Florida law.

Flagler County Clerk of Court Office

The Flagler County Clerk of Court maintains comprehensive responsibility for all family court records within the county, serving as the official custodian for the 7th Judicial Circuit. Tom Bexley serves as the elected Clerk, overseeing a professional staff dedicated to processing new case filings, maintaining extensive archives dating back decades, and ensuring public access to records in accordance with Florida Statutes. The office handles a diverse caseload that includes dissolution of marriage proceedings, child custody determinations, adoption petitions, and domestic violence injunctions, with each case generating detailed documentation that must be preserved and made accessible to authorized parties.

The clerk's office sits prominently on East Moody Boulevard in Bunnell, serving as the central repository for all family court records in Flagler County. This location provides convenient access for residents throughout the county, including those from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, and the surrounding communities. Visitors can access records in person during regular business hours, request certified copies for legal proceedings, or receive guidance from knowledgeable staff members who understand the intricacies of court record systems. The office maintains both physical archives and electronic databases, ensuring comprehensive record retention while adapting to modern technological requirements for court document management.

The Flagler County Clerk's site offers online tools for searching family court cases and documents.

How to Search Flagler County Family Court Records

You can search family court records in Flagler County through multiple channels designed to accommodate different needs and circumstances. The Flagler County Clerk website provides robust online case search capabilities that allow you to look up matters by party name, case number, or filing date, displaying case status information, scheduled hearings, and access to many electronically filed documents. This digital portal proves particularly valuable for attorneys, researchers, and individuals who need preliminary information without traveling to the courthouse, though it is worth noting that older cases filed before widespread electronic filing may not be fully accessible through the online system.

For comprehensive access to complete case files, visiting the clerk's office in Bunnell remains the most thorough option available to the public. In-person visits allow you to review entire case folders containing pleadings, motions, court orders, and evidentiary exhibits from start to finish, with experienced staff members available to assist in locating specific documents or explaining the organization of court files. When visiting, you should bring valid photo identification and be prepared to pay standard copying fees if you need physical copies of documents; certified copies, which carry official authentication for legal purposes, are also available upon request for an additional fee.

The MyFloridaCourtAccess.com portal offers a valuable statewide resource for those needing to search across multiple jurisdictions, connecting users to court records throughout Florida's judicial circuits. This system, maintained by the Florida Courts eFiling Authority, enables comprehensive searches that extend beyond Flagler County boundaries, proving especially useful when cases involve parties from multiple counties or when researching related matters filed in different circuits. The portal supports the modern era of digital court administration while ensuring that public access to judicial records remains robust and efficient.

Types of Family Court Records in Flagler County

Family courts in Flagler County handle a diverse array of case types, each generating comprehensive documentation that the Clerk's office maintains for public inspection unless specifically sealed by court order. Dissolution of marriage proceedings constitute a significant portion of the family court docket, creating extensive records that include the initial petition for divorce, financial affidavits detailing each spouse's income, assets, and liabilities, marital settlement agreements memorializing negotiated terms, and final judgments that legally terminate the marriage and establish post-divorce rights and obligations. These cases are governed by Chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes, which establishes residency requirements mandating that at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for six months prior to filing, along with comprehensive provisions for property division, spousal support, and the restoration of former names.

The Flagler County Clerk provides access to court records through their online search system.

Child custody and child support cases generate particularly detailed records that shape the lives of families throughout Flagler County. These files contain parenting plans that establish decision-making authority and residential arrangements, time-sharing schedules that specify when children will be with each parent, and financial worksheets calculating support obligations according to Florida's statutory guidelines. The Florida Department of Revenue maintains enforcement capabilities across the state, providing resources for parents to check payment histories, modify existing orders when circumstances change, and address enforcement issues that may arise when support obligations go unpaid.

Domestic violence injunction cases proceed through family court with expedited procedures designed to protect victims from harm. Florida Statute 741.30 establishes the framework for these protective orders, allowing petitioners to seek temporary injunctions that can be granted on the same day of filing based on sworn testimony demonstrating an immediate and present danger of domestic violence. Full evidentiary hearings follow within 15 days, at which point judges may issue permanent injunctions that can remain in effect indefinitely while establishing specific restrictions on contact, possession of firearms, and other matters designed to ensure victim safety.

Public Access to Flagler County Family Court Records

Florida law establishes a strong presumption of public access to court records, with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes declaring that all state and county records shall be open for personal inspection by any person, a principle that extends comprehensively to family court files maintained by the Flagler County Clerk. This legislative framework reflects Florida's commitment to government transparency and the public's right to observe judicial proceedings, ensuring that court records remain accessible unless specific statutory exemptions apply. The law explicitly prevents government agencies from implementing automation or technological systems that would effectively block or substantially impede public access to records that are otherwise available for inspection.

Certain categories of information within family court records receive protection under Florida law, with Section 119.0714 establishing specific restrictions on the disclosure of sensitive personal data. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card information, and certain identification numbers must be redacted from public records, and cases involving minor children may have sealed portions protecting their identities and sensitive personal details. The Clerk's office is required to automatically remove this protected information without being asked, implementing procedures that balance transparency with privacy protection.

The e-filing portal allows lawyers and self-represented parties to file documents electronically in Flagler County.

The 7th Judicial Circuit website provides additional resources for individuals navigating family court matters in Flagler County, offering standardized forms that comply with Florida's family law rules, local procedural guidelines that supplement statewide requirements, and information about court calendars and judge assignments. This centralized resource serves the circuit's four counties—Flagler, St. Johns, Volusia, and Putnam—ensuring consistent application of legal procedures while accommodating local practices that have developed to serve the specific needs of each community within the circuit.

7th Judicial Circuit Family Court Information

Flagler County operates within the 7th Judicial Circuit of Florida, a multi-county judicial district that spans four counties along the state's east coast and serves a diverse population with varying legal needs. Family law cases originating in Flagler County are assigned to circuit judges who rotate through the counties, bringing expertise in complex matters including high-conflict divorce trials, contentious custody disputes, contested adoption proceedings, and emotionally charged domestic violence cases. The circuit maintains dedicated family law divisions staffed by professionals who understand the sensitive nature of these matters and work to resolve disputes efficiently while protecting the interests of children and vulnerable parties.

The 7th Judicial Circuit provides court services and resources for Flagler County family law matters.

Despite the circuit-wide administration of judicial resources, each county maintains separate clerk's offices responsible for local record-keeping functions, meaning that Flagler County family court records remain physically located in Bunnell and cannot be accessed through clerk's offices in other circuit counties. This decentralized structure ensures that local staff develop specialized knowledge of Flagler County's procedures, case history, and community needs while maintaining the ability to provide personalized assistance to individuals seeking access to court records. The Bunnell staff can guide researchers through the record retrieval process, explain fee schedules for copies and certifications, and provide referrals to additional resources when cases involve complex procedural requirements or multiple jurisdictions.

Nearby Counties in the 7th Judicial Circuit

These counties share the same judicial circuit as Flagler County. Family court cases follow similar procedures in all four counties. Each has its own clerk's office for record requests.