Divorce and Family Court Filing — Sebastian, Florida

Sebastian residents file divorce and other family cases with the Indian River County Clerk's Domestic Relations Department, Room 136 of the courthouse at 2000 16th Avenue in Vero Beach.

The Clerk's Domestic Relations page defines the family docket broadly: dissolution of marriage, annulment, paternity, child support, custodial care of or access to children, adoption, injunctions for protection, and every later proceeding to modify or enforce those orders. One department in Vero Beach therefore handles a Sebastian divorce from the first petition through any change to time-sharing years later. The department's main line is (772) 226-3100.

The same rules and packets apply across the north end of the county. A spouse in Roseland, Wabasso or Sebastian Highlands files the identical Indian River County packets as a spouse in Vero Beach, and for households near Barber Street, CR 512 or Indian River Drive the Clerk's Sebastian Office on US 1 is the in-town Clerk counter.

North county residents have a closer Clerk counter. The Clerk's divorce page lists the Sebastian Office at 1921 U.S. Highway 1, Sebastian, as open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, phone (772) 226-1147. The divorce page also links four Self-Represented Litigant videos that walk through requesting a portal account, building documents in the portal, filing a new case and filing into an existing one.

Child support money is routed through the State Disbursement Unit. Indian River County contracts with the State Disbursement Unit to collect and disburse support, alimony and related fees, according to the Clerk's alimony and child support page, and the Domestic Relations page directs payment questions to the unit at (877) 769-0251. The same page links the Family Law Handbook (2021) in English and Spanish. This page covers filing steps and Clerk fees for Indian River County families and does not give advice on any case.

Filing a petition for dissolution of marriage with the Indian River County Clerk costs $408.00, or $418.00 when the Clerk issues a summons for the other spouse.

The amounts below come from the Clerk's fee schedule and divorce page. They cover the Clerk's filing charges for a Sebastian household only.

A Sebastian filer who cannot pay the fee can apply for civil indigency status; the divorce page posts an Application for Civil Indigency beside the packets. Enforcement of an existing order costs nothing to start, since the Indian River County Clerk charges no filing fee for a motion for contempt. Last verified: October 11, 2026, on the website of the Indian River County Clerk of Court.

The Indian River County Clerk posts three divorce packets, simplified, with children and without children, and a Sebastian couple's choice turns on children, agreement and whether either spouse wants alimony.

The Simplified Divorce Packet is limited. It applies only when there are no minor children and the wife is not pregnant, both spouses have agreed how to divide assets and debts, neither seeks alimony, both give up the right to a trial and appeal, both sign the petition at filing, and both attend the final hearing. When any of those conditions fails, Sebastian spouses use the Divorce With Children packet (dependent or minor children of the marriage, or the wife is pregnant) or the Divorce Without Children packet.

Residency comes first. Under section 61.021, Florida Statutes, one spouse must reside in Florida for 6 months before the petition is filed. Section 61.052 allows that residence to be corroborated by a valid Florida driver license, a Florida voter registration card, a Florida identification card, or the testimony or affidavit of a third party, so a valid Florida driver license is one accepted way for a Sebastian resident to corroborate residence.

Timing has a floor and a practical estimate. Section 61.19 bars a final judgment until at least 20 days after the original petition is filed, unless the court finds injustice would result from the delay. The Indian River County Clerk tells filers to anticipate a minimum of 90 days for an uncontested divorce and longer for a contested one.

The Clerk's Access to Justice Self-Help Center assists with family law forms, with a legal kiosk at the Clerk's Sebastian Office on US 1 and paralegal help there on Fridays.

According to the Self-Help Center page, the center covers family law, small claims and residential evictions. Visitors can schedule cost-effective attorney consultations, learn about court process and procedure, connect to community resources, buy and fill out forms, and prepare and submit forms for filing. The page states plainly that Self-Help Center staff and attorneys are not acting as the visitor's lawyer. Its phone line is 772-226-3162, and Spanish is spoken.

One detail is worth a phone call. The Self-Help Center lists the Sebastian kiosk as available Monday through Friday, while the Clerk's office footer lists the Sebastian Office itself as open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so a Tuesday or Thursday visit to 1921 U.S. 1 should be confirmed at (772) 226-1147 first. Small claims and residential evictions, the center's other two subjects, are covered on their own pages in this Sebastian guide series.

When minor children are involved, both Sebastian parents must finish the state Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before an Indian River County judge enters the final judgment.

The course requirement is in section 61.21, Florida Statutes. In a dissolution case the petitioner must complete it within 45 days after filing the petition and the other parent within 45 days after service, unless the court excuses it, and each party files proof of completion with the court. The same course applies to paternity cases that involve parental responsibility, which the Indian River County Clerk files in the same family division.

Later changes go back to the same Domestic Relations Department. The Clerk's divorce page lists separate packets to modify child support, to modify parental responsibility or time-sharing, and to ask permission to relocate a child more than 50 miles, each with a $50.00 filing fee or $60.00 with summons.

Cases already open with the Florida Department of Revenue have their own paperwork. The Indian River County Clerk posts Form A, a Family Case Inquiry/Update, and Form B, a Request for Hearing of Pleading or Motion in an open Department of Revenue child support enforcement case, on both its divorce and alimony and child support pages for Sebastian parents with an open Department of Revenue case.

Protective injunctions are a separate track with no filing fee in Indian River County. Forms and instructions are on the Clerk's injunction page, which lists separate packets for Sebastian residents by type of injunction.