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Quick summary: The Fourth Judicial Circuit covers Clay, Duval and Nassau Counties, in Northeast Florida and Jacksonville. 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 Fourth Circuit
| County | Main courthouse | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Clay | Judge William A. Wilkes Judicial Complex 825 North Orange Avenue, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 | Clay Clerk of Court |
| Duval | Duval County Courthouse 501 West Adams St., Jacksonville, FL 32202 | Duval Clerk of Court |
| Nassau | Nassau County Judicial Annex 76347 Veterans Way, Yulee, FL 32097 | Nassau Clerk of Court |
The local economy, county by county
Clay County
Clay County sits southwest of Jacksonville. Green Cove Springs is the county seat, and Orange Park, Keystone Heights, and Penney Farms are the county’s other incorporated towns. Fleming Island, Middleburg, Oakleaf Plantation, and Lakeside are large unincorporated communities.
Healthcare, retail, and construction are the main business sectors. Aviation is also present at the Keystone Heights airport, and many residents work at nearby Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Businesses here tend to hold commercial real estate along Blanding Boulevard and U.S. 17, construction equipment, and receivables from service work.
Duval County
Duval County and Jacksonville share one consolidated government. The economy is broad: finance, logistics, healthcare, defense, aerospace, and manufacturing. JAXPORT is a major container port. Cecil Commerce Center on the Westside hosts aerospace and industrial companies, and three military installations support many defense contractors.
Businesses hold a wide range of assets, including downtown and Southside office space, Northside and Westside warehouses, and heavy receivables at logistics firms, freight brokers, and construction suppliers. Because assets are spread across many business districts, creditors often need to check more than one area.
Nassau County
Nassau County sits in Florida’s northeast corner along the Georgia line. Fernandina Beach is the county seat. Yulee is the largest community, and Callahan and Hilliard are its smaller towns.
Tourism centers on Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach. Paper and pulp mills in Fernandina Beach have operated for decades. Newer industrial growth is centered on Wildlight and the Crawford Diamond Industrial Park, where two major rail lines meet. Businesses here tend to hold hotel and resort property, retail space along State Road 200 (A1A) and near I-95, industrial land and equipment, and seasonal revenue.
The circuit’s official site is the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Appeals go to the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
What creditors should know here
- The circuit has separate case management orders for circuit civil and county civil cases, and it tells lawyers to review them before filing any civil case in Duval, Clay, or Nassau.
- Since January 1, 2023, appeals from this circuit go to the Fifth District Court of Appeal, not the First. Older articles often get this wrong.
- 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 Fourth 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: Jacksonville.
Frequently asked questions
Which counties are in Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit?
Clay, Duval and Nassau Counties.
Where do I file a collection lawsuit in the Fourth 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 Fourth Circuit go?
To the Fifth 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 Fourth Circuit, contact us or call (813) 229-0900. We’ll tell you whether the file is worth chasing before you spend on it.