The Florida Court System: Counties, Circuits and Which Court Hears Your Case

If you have been hurt in an accident or are fighting an insurance company, you may hear words like "county court", "circuit court" or "the 11th Circuit". This guide explains the Florida court system in plain English: how the courts are organized, which counties share a court system, and which court usually hears which kind of case. This article is general information, not legal advice.

How the Florida court system is organized

Under Article V of the Florida Constitution, the state's judicial power belongs to four levels of courts. From the top down:

1. The Florida Supreme Court. The highest state court, in Tallahassee.
2. The District Courts of Appeal. The appeals courts that review most decisions of the trial courts.
3. The circuit courts. The main trial courts, organized into judicial circuits.
4. The county courts. Trial courts for smaller civil cases, small claims and misdemeanors. Every county has one.

Most people who have a case in the Florida court system only ever deal with the trial courts: the county court and the circuit court. That is where cases are filed, evidence is presented and trials happen. Federal courts are a separate system with their own rules, and we will cover them in another guide.

67 counties, 20 judicial circuits

Florida has 67 counties, and each one has its own county court. Circuit courts work differently. Under section 26.021, Florida Statutes, the state is divided into 20 judicial circuits. Some circuits cover a single county, while others group several counties together under one circuit court system, with the same chief judge and the same pool of circuit judges.

In the South Florida part of the Florida court system, each large county is its own circuit:

• 11th Judicial CircuitMiami-Dade County.
• 17th Judicial CircuitBroward County.
• 15th Judicial CircuitPalm Beach County.
• 16th Judicial CircuitMonroe County (the Florida Keys).

Elsewhere, counties share a circuit. The 19th Circuit covers Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties. The 20th Circuit covers Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. In North Florida, the 3rd Circuit covers seven mostly rural counties, including Columbia, Suwannee and Taylor. A case filed in Stuart (Martin County) and one filed in Fort Pierce (St. Lucie County) are both in the 19th Circuit, even though they are in different counties.

County court vs. circuit court

In the Florida court system, the biggest difference between the two trial courts is the kind of case and, for civil cases, the amount of money at stake.

• County courtUnder section 34.01, Florida Statutes, county courts hear civil cases where the amount in dispute is $50,000 or less (not counting interest, costs and attorney fees) for cases filed on or after January 1, 2023. They also hear misdemeanor criminal cases and small claims.
• Small claimsSmall claims is a part of county court with simpler rules. Under the Florida Small Claims Rules, it covers civil cases worth $8,000 or less, not counting costs, interest and attorney fees.
• Circuit courtUnder section 26.012, Florida Statutes, circuit courts hear civil cases above the county court limit, felonies, probate and estate cases, juvenile cases, and cases about title to real property. Divorce cases are also filed in circuit court (section 61.043).

So a minor fender-bender claim for vehicle damage might belong in county court, while a serious injury claim worth more than $50,000 is usually filed in circuit court.

Court divisions: civil, family, probate and criminal

Inside each circuit and county court, the work is usually split into divisions so judges can focus on one type of case. Larger courts like those in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach commonly have divisions such as:

• CivilPersonal injury, property damage, insurance disputes, contracts and other lawsuits for money.
• FamilyDivorce, child custody, child support and related cases.
• ProbateWills, estates and guardianships.
• CriminalFelonies in circuit court and misdemeanors in county court.
• JuvenileCases involving minors.

The names and number of divisions vary from one circuit to another. A car accident lawsuit, a slip and fall case or a denied insurance claim usually goes to a civil division.

Where is an injury or property damage case filed?

Two questions decide where a Florida lawsuit is filed. The first is which court: county court or circuit court, based mostly on the amount at stake. The second is which county, called "venue". Under section 47.011, Florida Statutes, a lawsuit is generally brought in the county where the defendant lives, where the cause of action arose (for example, where the crash happened), or where the property at issue is located.

For example, if you were hurt in a crash on I-95 in Broward County, your case might be filed in the 17th Circuit in Fort Lauderdale. Some cases can also leave the Florida court system and end up in federal court, and decisions can be appealed to a District Court of Appeal. Those are topics for future guides.

At Robirosa Accident & Injury Law we handle personal injury, car accident and denied insurance claim cases across Florida, with a focus on Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. We speak English and Spanish, the consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover.

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Photo: Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0