Form 12.921, Notice of Hearing (Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer), is a Florida Supreme Court approved family law form that tells the other party when and where a hearing before a child support enforcement hearing officer will take place. You use it after you have set that hearing and have been instructed to send notice to the other party. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF and its instructions are published by the Florida Courts.
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What is 12.921?
Form 12.921, Notice of Hearing (Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer) is a Florida Supreme Court approved family law form that tells the other party the date, time and place of a hearing before a child support enforcement hearing officer.
The instructions describe a child support enforcement hearing officer as an attorney appointed by administrative order of the court to take testimony and recommend decisions in cases about establishing, enforcing or modifying child support. The same attorney can also be appointed as a general magistrate.
The form has the circuit court caption, a TO line for the other party, and blanks for the hearing officer's name, the date, the time, the room, the county courthouse and its address. It also lists the issues to be heard and the hours or minutes reserved. Notices follow: a warning for contempt or enforcement matters, a disability accommodation notice, a choice between electronic recording and a court reporter, and a notice of the ten-day deadline to seek review of the order. A certificate of service and signature block close the form.
It is not the notice for a Motion for Civil Contempt in Support Matters under Florida Family Rule of Procedure 12.615. For that, the instructions direct you to form 12.961, Notice of Hearing on Motion for Civil Contempt/Enforcement Matters (Rule 12.615). This page covers Form 12.921 only, revision 11/20.
Who needs to file 12.921?
The party who has set a hearing before a child support enforcement hearing officer and has been instructed to send notice of it to the other party uses Form 12.921. In the form's wording, that party completes the notice and signs it as the sender.
- If your case only involves child support issues, the instructions say you cannot object to the referral of your case to a hearing officer.
- If the Department of Revenue is a party to the case, you may need to schedule the hearing time with the attorney for the Department of Revenue.
- If your case involves a Motion for Civil Contempt in Support Matters under Florida Family Rule of Procedure 12.615, do not use this form; use form 12.961.
- If a nonlawyer helps you fill out the form, that person must give you a copy of Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Form 12.900(a), before helping, and must complete the nonlawyer block at the end of the form.
The other party, or his or her attorney, receives a copy of the completed notice.
When to file 12.921
Use Form 12.921 once you have set a hearing before a child support enforcement hearing officer and have been instructed to send notice of it to the other party. Before filling it out, coordinate a hearing time and date with the hearing officer and the other party. If the Department of Revenue is a party, you may need to schedule with its attorney.
The form prints no filing deadline of its own. Some timing rules appear in the notice it gives: people needing a disability accommodation should contact the listed court personnel at least 7 days before the appearance, or immediately if less than 7 days remain; and if the matter is resolved, the moving party must contact the hearing officer's office to cancel the hearing. A party seeking review of the resulting order must file a motion to vacate within ten days from the date the order is entered, under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.491(f).
How to fill out 12.921
Coordinate the hearing time first
Before filling out the form, agree on a hearing date and time with the hearing officer and the other party. If the Department of Revenue is a party, you may need to schedule with its attorney.
Complete the court caption
Enter the judicial circuit number, the county, the Case No. and the Division. Write the Petitioner's name and the Respondent's name in the spaces provided.
Name the other party
On the TO line, enter the name of the other party who will receive the notice.
Enter the hearing details
Fill in the Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer's name, the date, the time (with a.m. or p.m.), the room number, the county courthouse and its address.
List the issues and time reserved
Write the issues to be heard on the lines provided. Enter the hours and/or minutes that have been reserved for the hearing.
Add the court's accommodation contact
The part for disability accommodation is filled out by the court or with information you obtained from it. Enter the court personnel's name, address and telephone number.
Mark the recording option
Under "You are advised that for this hearing," mark a if the court provides electronic recording, or b if the court provides a court reporter, based on the court's information.
Complete the certificate of service
Mark how the copy was delivered: mailed, faxed and mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered, and enter the date. Then give the other party's or attorney's name, address, city, state, ZIP, telephone, fax and designated e-mail address(es).
Sign and add your details
Sign on the Signature of Party line and enter your printed name, address, city, state, ZIP, telephone, fax and designated e-mail address(es).
Complete the nonlawyer block if needed
If a nonlawyer helped, mark Petitioner or Respondent and fill in the helper's name, business, address, city, state, ZIP and telephone number. Leave it blank if no one helped.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check names, case number, date, time and courthouse address against the court's information. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then file and serve it as described under How to submit.
How to submit 12.921
Form 12.921 is filed with the court and served on the other party; both steps follow the Florida Courts' instructions.
- Filing: after completing the form, file it with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where your case is filed, and keep a copy for your records. Florida's rules require electronic filing except in certain circumstances, but self-represented litigants may file electronically without being required to. If you do, follow Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.525 and the procedures of your judicial circuit.
- Serving the other party: a copy must be mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered to the other party in your case. Mark the method and the date on the certificate of service at the end of the form.
- E-mail service: if you elect to serve and receive documents by e-mail, designate your e-mail addresses with Form 12.915, Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, put your e-mail address on each form you sign, and follow Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516. Self-represented litigants are not required to elect e-mail service.
The form should be typed or printed in black ink. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using Form 12.921 for a Motion for Civil Contempt in Support Matters under Rule 12.615, when the instructions direct you to form 12.961 instead.
- Filling out the notice before coordinating a hearing date and time with the hearing officer and the other party (and the Department of Revenue's attorney, if it is a party).
- Filing the notice with the clerk but not mailing, e-mailing or hand-delivering a copy to the other party.
- Leaving the certificate of service unmarked, with no delivery method checked or no date entered.
- Leaving both recording options blank under "You are advised that for this hearing" when the court information is available.
- Typing or writing the form in a color other than black ink.
- Electing e-mail service without designating your e-mail address on Form 12.915 or without putting it on each form you sign.
- Having a nonlawyer help without completing the nonlawyer block, or without that person giving you Form 12.900(a) first.
- Not telling the hearing officer's office to cancel the hearing when the matter is resolved, which is the moving party's duty.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 12.921 used for?
Form 12.921 is the Florida notice of hearing you send to the other party after setting a hearing before a child support enforcement hearing officer. It states the hearing officer, date, time, room, courthouse address, issues and time reserved.
Should I use Form 12.921 or Form 12.961 for a contempt hearing?
Use form 12.961, Notice of Hearing on Motion for Civil Contempt/Enforcement Matters (Rule 12.615), if your case involves a Motion for Civil Contempt in Support Matters under Rule 12.615. Form 12.921 is for other hearings before a child support enforcement hearing officer.
Where do I file the notice of hearing for a child support hearing officer?
File it with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where your case is filed, and keep a copy. Self-represented litigants may file electronically under Rule 2.525 but are not required to; follow your judicial circuit's procedures.
Do I have to give the other party a copy of Form 12.921?
Yes. A copy must be mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered to the other party in your case. You record the method and date on the certificate of service at the end of the form.
Do I have to serve the notice by e-mail?
No. Self-represented litigants may serve documents by e-mail but are not required to. If you elect it, designate your e-mail address on Form 12.915, put it on each form you sign, and always follow the procedures in Rule 2.516 afterward.
What happens if I miss a contempt or enforcement hearing?
The notice warns that for a Motion for Civil Contempt/Enforcement, failure to appear may result in a writ of bodily attachment for your arrest, and you may be held in jail up to 48 hours before a hearing. It urges you to file Form 12.902(b) beforehand.
How long do I have to challenge the hearing officer's recommendations?
The notice says you must file a motion to vacate within ten days from the date of entry of the order, under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.491(f). You must also give the court a record sufficient to support your motion, ordinarily a written transcript.
Can someone who is not a lawyer help me fill out Form 12.921?
Yes, but the helper must give you Form 12.900(a), Disclosure from Nonlawyer, before helping, and must fill in the nonlawyer block at the end of the form with name, business, address and telephone number.
Can I fill out Form 12.921 online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Florida Courts and does not file or serve the notice; you do that through the court's channels.
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