Orlando Divorce Court – Orange County Divorce Court

The Orange County Divorce Court / Orlando Divorce Court is located at:

425 N. Orange Avenue,
Orlando, Florida 32801

The Ninth Judicial Circuit currently has 65 judges in office. There are as many as 590,000 new cases each year that are filed in this circuit. There are both county and circuit level cases heard in the Ninth Circuit and the court is within the jurisdiction of the Fifth District Court of Appeal (in Daytona Beach).

The downtown Orange County Courthouse complex includes a 23-level courthouse tower, a 5 story building for the State Attorney’s Office on the far side, a 5 story building for the Public Defender’s Office on the side closest to the 1,500 car parking garage. The Clerk of the Court, the jury assembly area and A Place for Children are all located in the tower’s 4-story base.

Going to the Orlando Courthouse When you travel to the downtown Orange County Courthouse you need only to look for the tallest building downtown on Orange Avenue. Make sure to arrive early in order to have time for parking, going through the extensive security line and waiting in line for the elevator. The downtown courthouse parking garage is located at N. Orange Avenue and Amelia Street. There are two entrances to the Parking Garage – one on Amelia Street and one on Magnolia Avenue. Make sure to bring cash, personal check or a debit/credit card with you if you decide to park in the parking garage. Parking is about $2.00 per hour.

Should you choose to park on the street there are limited metered parking spots around the courthouse. There are 8 floors total in the parking garage and centrally located elevators with stairwells on each side of the parking level. When you exit the elevators turn to exit the garage and follow the sidewalk up to the main entrance. There will be a side entrance on your left but this is only for attorneys and staff that have appropriate identification. Along the way you will pass a five story building on your right which is the Public Defender’s Office.

The main entrance to the courthouse is going to be on your left hand side before you get to the five story building that houses the State Attorney’s Office. There will be a long, winding line for the public entrance in the middle of the building once you enter. Make sure to remove your cell phone(s), keys, and any other electronic objects you might have brought with you. The following items are prohibited: • Firearms, Aerosol cans , Knives of any type, Tools, Handcuffs/handcuff keys, Tape measures, Scissors Clay and/or putty material, Razors, Glass perfume bottles over 4 oz, Box cutters, Chains, Pepper spray, and Oversized belt buckles

After you make it through this necessary but tedious line, you will find yourself inside a magnificent oval open spaced room with Information directly ahead of you. To your left will be an area designated for Mediation and Alternate Dispute Resolution. To your right will be an escalator that will only rise as high as floor four of the courthouse. Directly behind the Information booth are two elevators that will go up to floor four. Behind these elevators are the main elevators that will take you up to floor 23. There will usually be a long line of attorneys and the public waiting to get onto these 8 elevators that travel to the majority of the courthouse. There are no open access stairwells in the courthouse.

All family law related cases will be handled on floor 16. On floor 3 there is located marriage licenses, passport office and Injunction/Family Law office to file paperwork or purchase copies of paperwork. If a case number is more than 5 years old you will likely need to check out the case file/paperwork on the first floor next to the main elevators.

There are restrooms located on each floor and an ATM located on the first floor near the Information booth. There is a small café style food service center on the first floor near the entry way but keep in mind that ONLY certain approved CANNED drinks will be allowed through the security line. You will need your parking ticket to exit the parking garage.

Orange County Branch Courthouses

The Branch Courthouses are utilized to handle misdemeanor and traffic cases.

The following are the locations and addresses of the three Orange County Branch Courthouses:

• Apopka – 1111 N. Rock Springs Road, Apopka, Florida 32712

• Ocoee – 475 W. Story Road, Ocoee, Florida 32761

• Winter Park – 450 N. Lakemont Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789

Thomas S. Kirk Juvenile Justice Center

Juvenile, dependency and delinquency cases in Orange County are heard at the Thomas S. Kirk Juvenile Justice Center located on East Michigan Street in Orlando about 15 minutes from the downtown courthouse.