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38 verbatim requirements from Checklist.
Fourth Judicial Circuit (Duval, Clay, Nassau). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
• ALL FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED TO START YOUR CASE Form 12.928 o Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases Local Form (Attached) o Petition for Adoption by Relative o Local Form (Attached) - use only if consent is given • This form must be signed by the parent(s) who is (are) relinquishing all rights to and custody of the child(ren) to be adopted. • Consent must be signed and notarized with two witnesses other than the notary. Local Form (Attached) o Indian Child Welfare Affidavit Local Form (Attached) - Motion for Search of Putative Father Registry (Minor Child(ren)) o Form DH1963 (07/2012) – Florida Putative Father Registry – Application for Search (must be typed) (Available at Fla. • Dept. of Health – Florida Vital Statistics website or Google Search) Local Form (Attached) - Order Granting Motion for Search of Putative Father Registry (Minor Child(ren)) Local Form (Attached) o Final Judgment of Relative Adoption Form 12.900(h) (Must be Filed) o Notice of Related Cases Form 12.902(d) o Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act Affidavit (UCCJEA) Birth Certificate - Certified copy of child’s birth certificate • IF the other party lives outside of Duval County, YOU MUST mail or physically take your copied documents including the Summons; to the Sheriff’s Office in the city/county/state where the other party lives. • The petitioner must obtain the written consent of the child(ren) to be adopted if he or she is over twelve years of age, as well as the written consent of his or her parents or legal guardian. • The relative is the petitioner, because he or she is the one who is asking the court for legal action, and must have his or her signature witnessed by a notary public. • The original petition must be filed with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where either the petitioner or the adoptee live. • Because the information contained in the registry is confidential, the petitioner must file a Motion for Search of the Putative Father Registry and if granted, he or she will receive an order from the judge authorizing the Dept. of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, to conduct the search and report the results to the court. • If the petitioner knows where the birth parents live, and they have not provided written consent to the adoption, the petitioner must us personal service to notify them of the petition and the date of the hearing in the matter. • If you absolutely do not know where the birth parents live, you may use constructive service. • The following person(s) is/are required to consent and the consent form or affidavit of nonpaternity is/are attached: ______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ • The following person(s) whose consent is required has not consented. • A copy of this Petition was served on all known persons whose consent is required but did not waive notice, as well as on all persons whose consent is required but did not provide consent. • If you choose to file your pleadings or other documents electronically, you must do so in accordance with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.525, and you must follow the procedures of the judicial circuit in which you file. • A copy of this form must be mailed, e-mailed, or hand delivered to the other party in your case, if it is not served on him or her with your initial papers. • After the initial service of process of the petition or supplemental petition by the Sheriff or certified process server, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all documents required or permitted to be served on the other party must be served by electronic mail (e-mail) except in certain circumstances. • You must strictly comply with the format requirements set forth in the Rules of Judicial Administration. • If you elect to participate in electronic service, which means serving or receiving pleadings by electronic mail (e-mail), or through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, you must review Florida Rule of Judicial Administration • If a self-represented litigant elects to serve and receive documents by e- mail, the procedures must always be followed once the initial election is made. • To serve and receive documents by e-mail, you must designate your e-mail addresses by using the Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family • Law Form 12.915, and you must provide your e-mail address on each form on which your signature appears. • If a nonlawyer helps you fill out these forms, that person must give you a copy of a Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Florida Family • A nonlawyer helping you fill out these forms also must put his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form he or she helps you complete. • IF A NONLAWYER HELPED YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM, HE/SHE MUST FILL IN THE BLANKS BELOW: [fill in all blanks] This form was prepared for the: {choose only one} ( ) Petitioner ( ) Respondent • This consent shall not be executed before the birth of the minor child. • It must be signed in the presence of a notary public or deputy clerk and two witnesses other than the notary or clerk. • If a self-represented litigant elects to serve and receive documents by e- mail, the procedures must always be followed once the initial election is made. • If a nonlawyer helps you fill out these forms, that person must give you a copy of Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Florida Family • A nonlawyer helping you fill out these forms also must put his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form he or she helps you complete. • I understand my legal rights as a parent and I understand that I do not have to sign this consent and release of my parental rights. • I understand that pursuant to Chapter 63, Florida Statutes, “an action or proceeding of any kind to vacate, set aside, or otherwise nullify a judgment of adoption or an underlying judgment terminating parental rights on any ground may not be filed more than 1 year after entry of the judgment terminating parental rights;” • IF A NONLAWYER HELPED YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM, HE/SHE MUST FILL IN THE BLANKS BELOW: [fill in all blanks] This form was prepared for the ______Respondent • IF A NONLAWYER HELPED YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM, HE/SHE MUST FILL IN THE BLANKS BELOW: [fill in all blanks] This form was prepared for the petitioner. • The Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Health shall conduct a search of the Putative Father Registry upon receipt of a completed application and payment of any authorized fee. • The State Registrar shall issue a certificate indicating the results of such search which shall be filed in this proceeding by transmitting the certificate to the clerk of court. • The minor child(ren) shall be the child(ren) and legal heir(s) at law of Petitioner(s), {name} , and shall be entitled to all rights and privileges, and subject to all obligations, of children born of Petitioner(s). • The minor child(ren) shall hereafter be known as: {Full legal name}______________________________________________________ {Full legal name}______________________________________________________ {Full legal name}______________________________________________________ {Full legal name}______________________________________________________ {Full legal name}______________________________________________________
ALL FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED TO START YOUR CASE Form 12.928 o Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases Local Form (Attached) o Petition for Adoption by Relative o Local Form (Attached) - use only if consent is given
Reviewer note: Document sha256: 64ebfd30983043837c8e84180d3b261e6f0e2592d9e5f7ddd74d0e011c6900d3. Extracted from the document's own text layer. Text layer cleaned 2026-09-08 (Phase 3a): page markers removed; wording untouched. | Retitled 2026-09-09 (fix program 2026-09-09, Phase 4 — audit M2) from the document's own caption or the court's filename; the harvest-page title was: 4th Cir. Document — Checklist. Category Judge Preferences -> Self-Represented Litigants Verbatim from https://www.jud4.org/getContentAsset/0ffa10aa-76a6-4307-b7fd-382bd1c514b7/135b97c9-84fa-4e82-b956-0fbccec4aa1f/Checklist-Form-PET-Adoption-by-Relative-(Updated-10-24.pdf?language=en, harvested 2026-07-25; whitespace normalised only. [moved from the text 2026-09-14]
The Precinct 4 justice court's instruction letter: a plea of no contest or guilty makes the fine and costs due, a not-guilty plea brings a mailed court date, remittances by money order or cashier's check only (personal checks returned), juveniles 16 and under must contact the court with a parent or guardian before the appearance date, and payment online or by phone.
3 verbatim requirements from Checklist.