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Quick summary: The Twentieth Judicial Circuit covers Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties, in Southwest Florida. Here’s where its courthouses are, which clerk takes your filing, and what a creditor should know before suing or collecting a judgment here.
Courts and clerks in the Twentieth Circuit
| County | Main courthouse | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | Charlotte County Justice Center 350 E. Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 | Charlotte Clerk of Court |
| Collier | Collier County Courthouse 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112 | Collier Clerk of Court |
| Glades | Glades County Courthouse 500 Avenue J, Moore Haven, FL 33471 | Glades Clerk of Court |
| Hendry | Hendry County Courthouse 25 E. Hickpochee Ave., LaBelle, FL 33935 | Hendry Clerk of Court |
| Lee | Lee County Justice Center 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33901 | Lee Clerk of Court |
The local economy, county by county
Charlotte County
Charlotte County sits on Florida’s southwest coast. Punta Gorda is the county seat and only incorporated city. Port Charlotte is the largest community and a major retail center.
Healthcare, construction, and retail lead local employment. Logistics, light manufacturing, and aviation-support businesses are growing near Punta Gorda Airport, including the Punta Gorda Airport Commerce Center and Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park. Retail and service businesses cluster along US 41. Local businesses commonly hold warehouse, flex, medical office, and retail property, along with equipment and receivables. Construction firms hold equipment and often have receivables tied to rebuilding work.
Collier County
Collier County covers Florida’s southwest corner. The county seat is in East Naples. Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades City are the incorporated cities. Immokalee is a large unincorporated farming community inland.
Tourism and real estate are the county’s main industries. Hotels, restaurants, shops, builders, and property managers cluster around Naples and Marco Island. Healthcare is another large employer, and farming remains strong around Immokalee. Businesses here often hold high-value commercial and resort property, hospitality and farm equipment, and receivables that rise and fall with the tourist season.
Glades County
Glades County sits west of Lake Okeechobee in Florida’s Heartland. Moore Haven is the county seat and only incorporated city. Buckhead Ridge, Lakeport, Muse, Ortona, and Palmdale are smaller communities.
Farming and cattle have long shaped the economy. The county now targets manufacturing, marine industries, and distribution. US 27 and CSX and FEC rail lines serve business sites in Moore Haven, including the Americas Gateway Logistics Center and the Glades County Business and Commerce Park. Businesses here tend to hold farmland, farm and processing equipment, seasonal inventory, and industrial property.
Hendry County
Hendry County sits south of Lake Okeechobee. LaBelle is the county seat, and Clewiston is the largest city. These are the county’s two incorporated cities.
Agriculture drives the economy. Sugar, citrus, and cattle are the main products, and U.S. Sugar has major operations around Clewiston. The county also has manufacturing, distribution, and fishing-related businesses, and Airglades Airport near Clewiston supports aviation and cargo plans. Local businesses tend to hold farmland, livestock, farm and processing equipment, crop inventory, and receivables from buyers of their harvest.
The circuit’s official site is the Twentieth Judicial Circuit. Appeals go to the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
What creditors should know here
- In county civil cases the court issues a case management plan at the start. The plaintiff must serve it with the complaint and the standing order.
- Lee County’s civil and small claims clerk is on the second floor of the Justice Center in Fort Myers.
- Florida sends a money claim to court by size. Small claims cover up to $8,000. County court handles claims up to $50,000. Circuit court takes claims over $50,000. Filing is electronic through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
How Kass Shuler handles collection matters in the Twentieth Circuit
We represent creditors and businesses in courts across Florida from our Tampa office, and have since 1978. In this circuit, that includes:
- Pre-suit demand and resolution
- Collection litigation
- Judgment enforcement and garnishment
- Domesticating out-of-state judgments
- Skip tracing and asset investigations
- Mortgage default and foreclosure
- Creditors’ rights in bankruptcy
City guide: Fort Myers, Cape Coral.
Frequently asked questions
Which counties are in Florida’s Twentieth Judicial Circuit?
Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties.
Where do I file a collection lawsuit in the Twentieth Circuit?
With the Clerk of Court in the county where the case belongs, usually where the debtor lives, where the contract was made or broken, or where the property is. Small claims and cases up to $50,000 go to county court, and larger claims go to circuit court.
Where do appeals from the Twentieth Circuit go?
To the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
Can I enforce a judgment from another Florida county or another state here?
Yes. A Florida judgment can be recorded as a lien in any county. An out-of-state judgment first has to be domesticated in Florida. See domestication of foreign judgments.
Bottom line: If your debtor or your dispute is in the Twentieth Circuit, contact us or call (813) 229-0900. We’ll tell you whether the file is worth chasing before you spend on it.