Palm Beach County
Popularly known as Florida's largest county, Palm Beach County is located on the southeast coast and stretches 2,386 square miles (408 square miles of surface water and 1,977 square miles of land). The county was created in 1909 and has an estimated population of about 1.5 million.
The Palm Beach County judicial system operates several divisions under the Circuit Court. Prominent among these divisions are the Circuit Civil Court, County Civil Court, Criminal Court, Family Court, and Appellate Division. The Circuit Civil Court hears lawsuits with damages of over $50,000 and also handles cases involving probate of estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses and ceremonies. On the other hand, lawsuits with damages under $50,000 are handled by the County Civil Court, which also presides over suits involving small claims and evictions.
The Criminal Court in Palm Beach County largely handles circuit criminal (felonies) and county criminal lawsuits, while the Family Court is responsible for all family-related cases. Suits heard by the Family Court in Palm Beach County include matters relating to divorce, mental health, adoption, paternity, name change, child support, domestic dating/sexual /repeat violence, and juvenile delinquency and dependency cases. Criminal appeals and civil appeals are handled by the Appellate Division.
Public court records in Palm Beach County are available for public inspection and copying at the Clerk of the Circuit and Comptroller's office unless sealed. The office is responsible for keeping and safeguarding all documents and information gathered from legal proceedings handled by county courts. The Clerk's office makes records of the following types of cases available to interested persons:
- Criminal cases
- Civil cases
- Family law cases
- Traffic violation cases
While interested persons can visit Palm Beach County's Main Courthouse and obtain copies of public court records, they can also use the eCaseView to view uncertified digital records of court documents for free. If you want a Palm Beach County electronic certified court record, you can order it online with E-Certify at $8 per document.
