Divorce in Florida, start to finish
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Florida at a glance
- The filing fee is set by your county clerk. Most charge $408 (including the $10.50 final-judgment charge); some charge $397.50 and the $10.50 later; five charge $409.
- E-filing is optional, and the choice is one-way. An unrepresented party may elect the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, but once elected it cannot be withdrawn without leave of court (rule 2.525(b)). Paper remains open.
- Residency must be proven before you file. Step 1 on this page covers the proof.
- The forms are free. This page gives you the order, the deadlines and the traps that get filings rejected.
Every figure is from the sections below and carries its source. Sources last checked 14 September 2026. Spot something out of date? See our corrections or email hello@thecusp.app.
Florida gives you the forms for free. What it doesn’t give you is the order, the deadlines, the traps that get filings rejected, or anyone to tell you which path you’re actually on. That’s this.
Put in the day you filed and this page works out every deadline in your case, then hands you a calendar file that reminds you a week before each one and again the day before. It opens in the calendar you already use. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Which forms do you actually need?
Answer the questions and you get your own form list, with what each one does. Then the full sequence, in order, with every deadline and cost. Every form is free from the Florida courts and every number links straight to the PDF — download fresh each time, because clerks reject superseded revisions.
Open the questions in order. Each one leads to the exact set of forms for your situation, and says what every form is for. Every form is published free by the Florida courts.
Start here: can you use Florida’s simplified dissolution?
Form 12.901(a). No service of process, no mandatory disclosure, and you file the petition jointly. Available only where every one of these is true:
- No minor or dependent children of the marriage, the wife is not pregnant, and no minor child was born during the marriage.
- Assets and debts are already divided and you both agree with how.
- Neither of you is seeking alimony.
- You both sign the petition and both appear at the final hearing, together — Rule 12.105(b) requires it, and skipping it can get the case dismissed.
Yes — all four are true
- 12.901(a) — the Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution. Both of you sign it. There is no respondent and nobody is served
- 12.902(f)(3) — Marital Settlement Agreement, simplified version
- 12.902(k) — Notice of Joint Verified Waiver of Filing Financial Affidavits — the form that lets you both skip the affidavit
- 12.902(j) — Notice of Social Security Number
- 12.928 — Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases
- 12.915 — Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address
- 12.900(h) — Notice of Related Cases
- 12.902(i) — Affidavit of Corroborating Witness — only if you do not have a Florida driver’s license, ID or voter registration issued at least 6 months before filing
- 12.990(a) — Final Judgment of Simplified Dissolution
Florida runs a free guided tool for exactly this route — DIY Florida, at myflcourtaccess.com/authority/diy. It walks the questions and files it for you. It does not cover the route with children.
In Miami-Dade, both spouses are expected to appear together in person to file a simplified dissolution.
No — at least one is false
Then it is a regular dissolution. That does not mean contested. Most regular dissolutions in Florida are agreed and self-represented — it is the machinery that differs, not the outcome.
Everyone on this route needs- 12.928 — Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases
- 12.902(j) — Notice of Social Security Number
- 12.915 — Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address
- 12.900(h) — Notice of Related Cases
- 12.902(i) — Affidavit of Corroborating Witness — only if you lack a Florida license, ID or voter registration at least 6 months old
- 12.932 — Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure. Due within 45 days — you exchange the documents with each other and file this to say you did
- 12.999 — Final Disposition Form, at the end
Which petition do you use?
Exactly one of these three, matched to your situation:
- 12.901(b)(1) — Petition — with dependent or minor children
- 12.901(b)(2) — Petition — property but no minor children
- 12.901(b)(3) — Petition — no minor children and no property
Do you have minor children?
- 12.902(d) — UCCJEA Affidavit
- 12.902(e) — Child Support Guidelines Worksheet. This cannot be waived, even where you have agreed the amount or agreed equal time-sharing
- 12.995(a) — Parenting Plan — use 12.995(b) or (c) instead if supervised or long-distance
- 12.902(f)(1) — Marital Settlement Agreement, with children
- 12.990(b)(1) — Final Judgment — with children, uncontested
The Child Support Guidelines Worksheet cannot be waived, even where you have agreed the amount or agreed equal time-sharing. And the parenting course is four hours, DCF-approved, within 45 days.
No — add these instead- 12.902(f)(2) — Marital Settlement Agreement — property, no children
- 12.990(b)(2) — Final Judgment — property, no children, uncontested
- 12.990(b)(3) — Final Judgment — no property or children, uncontested
Will your spouse cooperate with service?
Yes. They file 12.903(a), the Answer and Waiver, voluntarily. It must be notarized and dated after the petition. This saves the $40 service cost and the whole service step.
No, or you are not sure. Add 12.910(a) and 12.910(b), and a sheriff or private process server serves them. They then have 20 days to answer.
Which Financial Affidavit — short or long?
A dollar test on income: under $50,000 uses the short form, $50,000 or over uses the long one.
Note the difference from the affidavit itself. Florida’s Mandatory Disclosure — seventeen categories of documents — is exchanged between you, not filed with the court. What gets filed is Form 12.932, the certificate saying you did it, within 45 days.
Three more that go in regardless
The questions above name the forms your particular answers produce. These three are not conditional on any of them — Florida’s forms table lists their route as All, which means every case.
- 12.915 — Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address
- 12.900(h) — Notice of Related Cases
- DH513 — Report of Dissolution (Dept. of Health)
And two that depend on which track you are on:
- 12.902(k) — Notice of Joint Verified Waiver of Filing Financial Affidavits — or file the affidavits instead — Simplified route
- 12.923 — Notice of Hearing (General) — Regular route
The state does not publish direct links for these five, so they are listed by number — find them in the Florida Supreme Court family-law forms index, or ask the clerk. DH513 is a Department of Health form, not a court form, and the clerk normally hands it to you.
Printing this, and filing it, are two different things
The checklist is not something you file. It is your worktable — what to do, in what order, by when, and what it costs. Print it or keep it open. Nobody at the court ever sees it.
In Florida you get a genuine choice, and the rule says so. Under Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.525, as amended 1 January 2025, an unrepresented party may elect to file through the Portal at myflcourtaccess.com by registering with it — and subdivision (c) expressly allows paper filing by “an unrepresented party who has not elected to participate electronically.” Attorneys must e-file. You do not have to.
The trap: the election is one-way. Once you elect to file through the Portal, rule 2.525(b) says it may not be withdrawn without leave of court. So choosing the Portal is a decision, not a convenience you can drop halfway through. If you are not confident with PDFs and uploads, paper remains open to you and nobody can make you register.
Sworn and notarized forms work either way. Rule 2.525(d): the jurat may be created electronically where the law allows, or the document may be “committed to paper, scanned, and filed”. So the Financial Affidavit and the Answer and Waiver can be notarized on paper and then uploaded — you do not need an electronic notary.
One cost that only applies to the Portal: it passes through a card processing surcharge of 3.5% of the filing fee. On a $408 filing fee that is about $14 you do not pay at the counter.
The regular dissolution route, start to decree. Print this part.
| # | Step | When | Forms | Where it goes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prove residency | Before anything | 12.902(i) Affidavit of Corroborating Witness — only if you have no Florida license, ID or voter registration at least 6 months old | Nothing is filed yet. You are gathering proof | No cost |
| 2 | File your petition packet | Day one | Your petition packet — the petition matched to your situation, plus the cover sheet, SSN notice, address designation and related-cases notice | Circuit court in your county. E-file at myflcourtaccess.com or walk it in | $397.50 to $409, depending on the county. Most clerks charge $408 at filing, which already includes the $10.50 final-judgment charge. A few charge $397.50 and collect the $10.50 later, and five, Broward and Miami-Dade among them, charge $409. The Portal adds a 3.5% card surcharge. Fee waiver: apply with the clerk the same day |
| 3 | Get your spouse served | After filing — your spouse then has 20 days to answer | 12.910(a) Summons12.910(b) Process Service Memorandum12.903(a) Answer and Waiver — the simpler route, if your spouse cooperates | Sheriff or private process server — or your spouse files 12.903(a) voluntarily and nobody is served | $40 sheriff. $0 if your spouse signs the Answer and Waiver |
| 4 | Exchange financial documents | Within 45 days | 12.932 Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure12.902(b) Financial Affidavit, short form — income under $50,00012.902(c) Financial Affidavit, long form — income $50,000 or over | The 17 categories of documents are exchanged WITH EACH OTHER, not filed. Only the certificate goes to the court | No cost |
| 5 | Take the parenting course | Within 45 days — only if you have minor children | The provider issues your certificate | A DCF-approved course, online is fine. Most circuits will not schedule your hearing until both certificates are filed | About $20–$70 per person |
| 6 | Wait out the 20 days from filing | 20 days from filing, unless the court finds that injustice would result from the delay (section 61.19) | None | Nothing to file. You are waiting | No cost |
| 7 | Set the final hearing | Once the 20 days have run and disclosure is done | 12.923 Notice of Hearing (General) | Call the clerk or the judge’s assistant to get a date, then file the notice. Many circuits do these by Zoom | No cost |
| 8 | Show up | The hearing | 12.990(b)(1) Final Judgment — with children12.990(b)(2) Final Judgment — property, no children12.990(b)(3) Final Judgment — no property or children12.999 Final Disposition Form | The hearing. Bring residency proof, your forms, and a stamped envelope addressed to your spouse if they are not attending | No cost |
Every figure here is this page’s own, from the costs section below. A fee waiver application is free to file and is listed with the forms above.
| Filing fee, set by your county clerk (most charge $408, which includes the $10.50 final-judgment charge; some charge $397.50 and the $10.50 later; five charge $409) | $397.50–$409 |
| Summons issuance, per summons | $10 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person | $40 |
| Parenting course, per parent (if children; our estimate, since Fla. Stat. § 61.21 says only “a reasonable fee”) | $20–70 |
| Vital statistics / final judgment recording | $10.50 |
| Service by publication, if you can’t locate your spouse | $100+ |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves | $430–530 |
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Florida has two routes to a dissolution of marriage, and the difference between them is set by statute and rule, not by preference.
- Every form Florida publishes for a divorce — The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Every Florida form is free, most of them are fillable on screen, and you never have to set foot in a courthouse if you don't want to.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Everything in a Florida divorce runs off two dates.
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Each of these gets filings rejected and each is invisible until it happens.
- Mandatory Disclosure — the 17 categories — Due within 45 days of service.
- What this costs — Ask the clerk for the Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.
In this subject 8
1 · The two routes, and what the rule requires
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Florida has two routes to a dissolution of marriage, and the difference between them is set by statute and rule, not by preference.
- Every form Florida publishes for a divorce — The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Every Florida form is free, most of them are fillable on screen, and you never have to set foot in a courthouse if you don't want to.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Everything in a Florida divorce runs off two dates.
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Each of these gets filings rejected and each is invisible until it happens.
- Mandatory Disclosure — the 17 categories — Due within 45 days of service.
- What this costs — Ask the clerk for the Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.
In this subject 8
Florida has two routes to a dissolution of marriage, and the difference between them is set by statute and rule, not by preference. Filing under the simplified route without meeting every one of its conditions is the most expensive mistake in the process — those petitions get rejected and the case starts over.
Before either route is available, Florida requires one spouse to have lived in the state for 6 months before filing. There is no way around it: until six months have run, the petition belongs in the state where one spouse does meet the residency rule.
Simplified Dissolution of Marriage
Fla. Fam. L. R. P. Form 12.901(a)
The fastest route Florida offers. There is no service of process and no mandatory disclosure, and the petition is filed jointly by both spouses.
Because it is a joint filing, neither spouse is a respondent and nobody is served.
Available only where all of these are true:
- There are no minor or dependent children of the marriage, the wife is not pregnant, and there is no minor child born during the marriage.
- The assets and debts are already divided and both spouses agree with how.
- Neither spouse is seeking alimony.
- Both spouses sign the petition and appear at the final hearing together.
Both spouses must physically appear at the final hearing, together. Rule 12.105(b) requires it in every simplified case, and skipping it can get the case dismissed.
Florida’s own e-filing portal carries a free guided tool, DIY Florida, that covers this route question by question and files it — myflcourtaccess.com/authority/diy. It does not cover the route with children.
In Miami-Dade, both spouses are expected to appear together in person to file a simplified dissolution.
Regular Dissolution of Marriage
Fla. Stat. ch. 61; Fla. Fam. L. R. P. Forms 12.901(b)(1)–(3)
The route for every case the simplified conditions do not cover. It is more steps — service of process, mandatory disclosure, and a petition matched to whether there are children, property, or neither.
More steps does not mean contested. Most regular dissolutions in Florida are agreed and self-represented; it is the machinery that differs, not the outcome.
This is the route wherever any of these is true:
- There are minor or dependent children of the marriage, the wife is pregnant, or there is a minor child born during the marriage.
- The property and debts are not yet divided, or the spouses do not agree on how.
- Either spouse is seeking alimony.
- The spouses are not filing the petition jointly.
A cooperating spouse can skip service of process entirely by voluntarily filing Form 12.903(a), the Answer and Waiver — which saves the $40 service cost. It must be notarized and dated after the petition.
Form 12.902(e), the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, cannot be waived, even where the parents have agreed on an amount or on equal time-sharing.
Florida’s free DIY Florida tool does not cover this route well; the forms below do.
2 · Every form Florida publishes for a divorce
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms a case needs depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Each row says which route it belongs to and carries the revision date clerks check. Every one is free.
The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case. Everything here is general information about how Florida handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Florida itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with a Florida family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.901(a) | Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution | Simplified | 06/25 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(f)(3) | Marital Settlement Agreement — Simplified | Simplified | 10/21 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(k) | Notice of Joint Verified Waiver of Filing Financial Affidavits — or file affidavits | Simplified | 10/23 | see clerk |
| 12.990(a) | Final Judgment of Simplified Dissolution | Simplified | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.901(b)(1) | Petition for Dissolution with Dependent or Minor Child(ren) | Regular | 02/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.901(b)(2) | Petition — Property but No Minor Children | Regular | 02/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.901(b)(3) | Petition — No Minor Children or Property | Regular | 02/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(d) | UCCJEA Affidavit — where there are minor children | Regular | 02/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(e) | Child Support Guidelines Worksheet — where there are minor children; cannot be waived | Regular | 06/25 | Download ↓ |
| 12.995(a) | Parenting Plan (or 12.995(b)/(c) if supervised or long-distance) | Regular | 02/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(f)(1) | Marital Settlement Agreement — with Children | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(f)(2) | Marital Settlement Agreement — Property, No Children | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(b) | Financial Affidavit — short form, under $50k income | Regular | 10/21 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(c) | Financial Affidavit — long form, $50k+ income | Regular | 06/25 | Download ↓ |
| 12.932 | Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure | Regular | 06/25 | Download ↓ |
| 12.903(a) | Answer, Waiver, and Request for Copy of Final Judgment (the responding spouse files it) | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.910(a) | Summons: Personal Service on an Individual — where the spouse is served | Regular | 10/21 | Download ↓ |
| 12.910(b) | Process Service Memorandum — where the spouse is served | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.923 | Notice of Hearing (General) | Regular | — | see clerk |
| 12.990(b)(1) | Final Judgment — with Children, Uncontested | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.990(b)(2) | Final Judgment — Property, No Children, Uncontested | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.990(b)(3) | Final Judgment — No Property or Children, Uncontested | Regular | — | Download ↓ |
| 12.999 | Final Disposition Form | Regular | 03/17 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(j) | Notice of Social Security Number | All | 06/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.902(i) | Affidavit of Corroborating Witness (if no 6-month-old FL ID) | All | 02/18 | Download ↓ |
| 12.928 | Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases | All | 02/24 | Download ↓ |
| 12.915 | Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address | All | 08/23 | see clerk |
| 12.900(h) | Notice of Related Cases | All | 02/24 | see clerk |
| DH513 | Report of Dissolution (Dept. of Health) | All | — | see clerk |
Every one of these is free. Download fresh each time — clerks reject superseded revisions, and saved copies go stale. Full catalog: flcourts.gov — Family Law Forms.
3 · Getting the forms and filling them in
Nobody explains this part, so here it is. Every Florida form is free, most of them are fillable on screen, and you never have to set foot in a courthouse if you don’t want to.
You may e-file, but you do not have to Your choice
- Portal
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (MyFLCourtAccess)
- Paper
- Still accepted — you can file over the counter.
- What it costs
- No fee to use the Portal. Broward Clerk: 'Pursuant to Florida Supreme Court order, fees cannot be charged for E-Filing; only statutorily mandated filing fees can be charged.' Palm Beach Clerk describes the Portal as 'a free service.' Statutory dissolution-of-marriage filing fee in Miami-Dade is stated as $409. Card surcharge: The Portal passes through a bank transaction / credit card processing fee of 3.5% of the filing fee; electronic check is a $5 flat rate.
- Worth knowing
- E-filing is mandatory for lawyers in Florida and optional for you. Clerks are directed to accept your paper and scan it into the case themselves. The Portal is free to use — the Supreme Court forbids charging for e-filing — so the only money involved is the statutory filing fee and, if you pay by card, the bank’s processing fee. One local quirk: for a simplified dissolution in Miami-Dade, both spouses are expected to appear together in person to file.
Pro se not required to e-file; clerk must accept and scan hard-copy filings from unrepresented litigants source
E-filing optional for pro se litigants in all divisions since 06/21/2014 source
E-filing not required; clerk accepts paper filings during business hours source
For a simplified dissolution of marriage both parties must appear together in person at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center to file; paper filing is the expected route source
Self-represented filers MAY e-file via the free statewide Portal; page instructs that if you e-file you should not also file the paper copy source
Step one — download them free
All Florida Supreme Court family law forms live here, at no cost:
flcourts.gov — Family Law Forms
Don’t reuse a saved copy or one a friend sent you. Forms get revised — 12.901(a) and 12.902(c) were both updated in June 2025 — and clerks reject superseded versions. The revision date is printed in the footer of every form.
Step two — fill them in on screen
Most Florida family law forms are fillable PDFs. Open them in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), Preview on a Mac, or any browser, type directly into the fields, and save. Type everything — handwritten forms get rejected more often, and your own handwriting at 11pm is not your friend.
Two things that trip people up: fill in every field, writing “N/A” where something doesn’t apply rather than leaving it blank; and don’t touch the notary block — that section is completed by the notary, not by you.
Florida’s e-filing portal has a free guided tool called DIY Florida that walks you through simplified dissolution question by question and files it for you. If that’s your path, use it — myflcourtaccess.com/authority/diy. It doesn’t cover the with-children route, which is what this guide is for.
Step three — get them notarized, without leaving home
Several of these must be signed in front of a notary: your petition, the marital settlement agreement, financial affidavits, the parenting plan, the corroborating witness affidavit, and your spouse’s Answer and Waiver if they’re filing one.
Florida has allowed Remote Online Notarization since 2020, and it’s fully legal for these documents. You do it by video call — you show government ID, answer identity-verification questions, sign electronically, and the notary applies their seal. It takes about fifteen minutes. These are the services that do it, plus the free and cheaper alternatives:
| Service | Typical cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Proof (formerly Notarize) | ~$25 first seal, $10 each additional | Open ↗ |
| BlueNotary | ~$25 per session | Open ↗ |
| OneNotary | ~$25 first seal | Open ↗ |
| NotaryCam | ~$25 per session | Open ↗ |
| Notarize with your bank | Usually free for account holders | walk in |
| Deputy clerk at the courthouse | Small fee, when you file | in person |
Mobile notaries will also come to you for a travel fee.
Never sign in advance. You sign in the notary’s presence, with valid photo ID in hand. A form signed the night before is not notarized, it’s just signed.
Watch the dates. Your corroborating witness affidavit cannot be dated before the day you file, and your spouse’s Answer and Waiver cannot be dated before your petition. Notaries won’t catch this. Clerks will.
Step four — file them
Florida uses one statewide portal: myflcourtaccess.com. Registration is free — choose the self-represented litigant role. Upload your PDFs, pay the filing fee by card, and you’re filed.
You are not required to e-file as a self-represented litigant — you can still walk into the clerk’s office with paper, and for simplified dissolution that’s often easier since you both have to appear anyway. But e-filing gives you a timestamp and a record, which is worth having.
Once your spouse has been served, later documents get served by email under Rule 2.516 — which is why Form 12.915, the Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, matters more than it looks. Self-represented filers may opt into email service; if you do it once, you follow it from then on.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Everything in a Florida divorce runs off two dates. Put them in and we’ll turn every rule into an actual date on your calendar — then you can add the whole thing to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook in one click.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · The rejection-proofing checklist
These are the specific things that get Florida filings bounced — every one of them costs weeks.
Signing and notarizing
Each of these gets filings rejected and each is invisible until it happens. Your corroborating witness affidavit cannot be dated before the day you file. Your spouse’s Answer and Waiver cannot be dated before the petition. And your ID used for residency must have been issued more than six months before you file — not just be valid now.
Forms people forget
Timing
Alimony not requested in the petition is waived — you can’t ask for it later. And if you serve your spouse by publication because you can’t find them, the court can grant the divorce but cannot award you alimony, child support, or property. Both are irreversible.
7 · Mandatory Disclosure — the 17 categories
Due within 45 days of service. These go to your spouse, not the court file. Only the financial affidavit and child support worksheet get filed.
Under $50,000 gross annual income uses the short form 12.902(b). At or above $50,000 requires the long form 12.902(c). Filing the short form on higher income is one of the most routine rejections there is. The affidavit itself cannot be waived — though by agreement you can file Form 12.902(k) to waive filing it, as long as you still exchange it.
8 · What this costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee, set by your county clerk (most charge $408, which includes the $10.50 final-judgment charge; some charge $397.50 and the $10.50 later; five charge $409) | $397.50–$409 |
| Summons issuance, per summons | $10 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person | $40 |
| Parenting course, per parent (if children; our estimate, since Fla. Stat. § 61.21 says only “a reasonable fee”) | $20–70 |
| Vital statistics / final judgment recording | $10.50 |
| Service by publication, if you can’t locate your spouse | $100+ |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves | $430–530 |
Ask the clerk for the Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status. If your household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, the fee is waived — and so are summons and sheriff service costs. The clerk decides, not a judge, and they’re required to help you fill it out if you ask. Receiving SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI generally qualifies you.
Does cheating change the money in Florida?
It can. Marital conduct is a factor the court is allowed to weigh. The rule: “may consider the adultery of either spouse and any resulting economic impact” (§ 61.08(1)(a)). How all fifty states answer this.
Reconciled, and it did not work? No fault ground survives in Florida, so forgiving an affair cannot cost you the divorce — which is an answer rather than a gap: condonation, state by state. If the decision itself is what you are sitting with rather than the law, start here.
What this is. A guide to Florida’s own process, built from the Florida Statutes (ch. 61), the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, the Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms, and published circuit court instructions. The forms themselves are free from flcourts.gov and this guide links you to them rather than reselling them.
What this is not. The Cusp is not a law firm and does not practice law. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here tells you which choice is right for your particular situation — only what Florida requires of each path. If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney. Many offer free consultations, and one hour of advice is cheaper than one mistake.
Free alternatives you should know about. Florida’s e-filing portal offers a free guided tool called DIY Florida that covers Simplified Dissolution. Several circuits — Hillsborough’s in particular — publish excellent free step-by-step packets. If Simplified Dissolution is your path, use those; you don’t need us.
Four things can happen to the house in a Florida divorce
Florida is not one of the twenty states where filing freezes both spouses automatically. That is not permission to sell: either of you can still ask a court for an order, and one may already exist in your case. But the automatic-order trap is not one you fall into here.
One of you buys the other out, you sell later, you sell now, or the court decides. For a great many people the right answer is not to sell at all – and three of the four routes earn us nothing.
The four routes, compared · Keeping it: the buyout and the carrying cost · Selling: capital gains, basis and timing · Finding an agent who has done a divorce sale · What two households cost
Moved to Florida from a community property state?
Community property keeps its character when you move — until you buy a Florida homestead or property held as tenants by the entirety with it, which Florida treats as a conclusive presumption that the community character has ended. And at divorce, Florida applies its own equitable-distribution rules.
Need a vetted attorney, mediator, or financial analyst in Florida?
Browse The Cusp’s professional directory — rated only by verified clients, never ranked by who paid the most.
Browse the directory →The Cusp · All 50 state kits · Find a professional · About
Ask for an introduction to an agent → — who we would introduce you to, what the referral fee is and who pays it, and why the answer is sometimes that you should not sell at all.
Everything we have written about Florida specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Florida’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
- Modifying support after divorce
- Check your state’s rules in one place (modification checker)
- Changing custody or parenting time
- What it costs to file
- Child custody
- Child support
- Guardians ad litem and child representation
- Travel, custody and relocation
- Alimony
- Property, support and legal fees
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- What Divorce Actually Costs
- What Happens to the House in a Florida Divorce
The most expensive mistakes in a divorce are made in the year after it, by people who thought the case was over. After the divorce is the checklist for that year — the health-coverage clock, the retirement order a decree cannot replace, and the beneficiary form that outranks your will.
Filing is one household becoming two, and the second one starts empty. The two-household list is what to send the people who keep asking how they can help — the second of everything, and the half of it that costs nothing. Some people call it a divorce registry.
All 29 Florida divorce forms, listed by the number the clerk will ask for — 29 with an official form number, 24 linked straight to the state’s own file, each with its revision date where the state publishes one. Open the Florida form list →
Common questions about filing for divorce in Florida
Short answers to what people ask most before they start. Each one points at the part of this page that covers it in full.
How do I file for divorce in Florida?
This page sets out the order it happens in for Florida: which form opens the case, what has to be served on the other person and when, and what the court needs before it will finish. It is written to be followed in sequence rather than read through.
What forms do I need to file for divorce in Florida?
The form list on this page gives the official Florida form numbers, each one’s revision date, and a link to the copy on the court’s own site rather than a copy hosted here. Using a superseded revision is one of the most common reasons a filing comes back, which is why the dates are shown.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Florida?
$397.50 to $409 to open the case, depending on the county (most clerks charge $408), and that is only the filing fee — it does not cover service, copies, any required class, or a lawyer. The full breakdown for Florida, with every figure traced to the court’s own published schedule and dated, is at what it costs to file in Florida.
What gets a Florida divorce filing rejected?
This page has a section on exactly that — the specific mistakes that get a filing returned in Florida rather than a general list. Most of them are procedural and cost weeks rather than money: the wrong form revision, a missing signature or notarization, service done in a way the state does not accept, or filing before a residency requirement is met.
How long does a divorce take in Florida?
There is a timeline on this page built from Florida’s own statutory day-counts, not from averages. The honest short answer is that the waiting period is a floor and not a prediction: an uncontested case can finish close to it, and a contested one is governed by the court’s calendar rather than the statute.
Where does the information on this page come from?
Florida’s own courts and statutes. Every form links to the court’s site, every fee is quoted from the published schedule with the date it was last checked, and where something could not be confirmed from an official source this site says so instead of estimating. It is free, with no account and no paywall.
Does cheating change the money in Florida?
It can. Marital conduct is a factor Florida allows the court to weigh, which is not the same as a rule that decides the outcome — it sits alongside need, earning capacity and the length of the marriage, and how much weight it gets is the judge’s. Eighteen states are in this position. The fifty-state table sets out the section this comes from, and the card higher up this page quotes your state’s own words.
Choosing an agent for a divorce sale is a different problem from choosing one for an ordinary sale: who the agent is allowed to talk to, who has to sign, what happens when one of you will not, and the three separate conflicts of interest that come up when one spouse found the agent first. How to choose a real estate agent for a divorce sale sets out what to ask, and how to check a credential yourself — no divorce credential is official with the National Association of Realtors.
The Cusp receives a referral fee from agents it vets and trains to handle divorce clients.
Key deadlines at a glance
These are the same deadlines the calculator above works out, shown as days counted from the day you file or the day your spouse is served. Use the calculator for your exact dates.
No minor children
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Petition filed | The day you file | The clock starts here. Everything else counts from this date or from service. |
| Spouse served | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Their clock starts now. |
| Earliest a judge can finalize | 20 days after filing | F.S. 61.19 — no final judgment until 20 days after filing. This is a floor, not a target. |
| Their answer is due | 20 days after service | 20 days from service. No answer means you can move for default using Form 12.922(a) plus the Nonmilitary Affidavit 12.912(b). |
| Mandatory disclosure due | 45 days after service | Rule 12.285. All 17 categories go to your spouse, not the court. Then file Form 12.932 certifying you did it. |
With minor children
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Petition filed | The day you file | The clock starts here. Everything else counts from this date or from service. |
| Spouse served | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Their clock starts now. |
| Earliest a judge can finalize | 20 days after filing | F.S. 61.19 — no final judgment until 20 days after filing. This is a floor, not a target. |
| Their answer is due | 20 days after service | 20 days from service. No answer means you can move for default using Form 12.922(a) plus the Nonmilitary Affidavit 12.912(b). |
| Your parenting course must be done | 45 days after filing | F.S. 61.21(5). File the certificate with your case number on it. |
| Mandatory disclosure due | 45 days after service | Rule 12.285. All 17 categories go to your spouse, not the court. Then file Form 12.932 certifying you did it. |
| Their parenting course due | 45 days after service | Same 45-day rule, running from service for them. |
Your county
Divorce rules are set by the state, but each county or court has its own forms, deadlines, classes and filing habits. Choose yours.
Broward County
The Clerk lists $409 for dissolution of marriage and describes simplified dissolution (at least one spouse lived in Florida six months, no minor or dependent children, no pregnancy, property and debts settled, no alimony request, trial and appeal waived; Form 12.901(a)). With minor or dependent children, each spouse separately completes the Parent Education and Family Stabilization course and must file the certificate of attendance immediately. Parties may need to follow administrative order AO-2019-15-UFC on status quo temporary orders.
Who to contact: Pro Se Self Help Unit: Broward County Central Courthouse, Judicial Complex West Building, 201 SE 6th Street, 2nd Floor, Room 02140, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (8:30-3:30). Self Help Equal Access Center (Law Library): 954-831-6226.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Citrus County
5th Circuit self-help page: pretrial statement forms are posted for dissolution with parenting issues and without children’s issues, and self-represented parties who filed a family case on or after October 1, 2022 must file a Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address form. The page links online parent education course providers but does not say when the course is required. Citrus has a self-help office.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Hernando County
5th Circuit self-help page: pretrial statement forms are posted for dissolution with parenting issues and without children’s issues, and self-represented parties who filed a family case on or after October 1, 2022 must file a Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address form. The page links online parent education course providers but does not say when the course is required. Hernando has a self-help office.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Lake County
5th Circuit self-help page: pretrial statement forms are posted for dissolution with parenting issues and without children’s issues, and self-represented parties who filed a family case on or after October 1, 2022 must file a Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address form. The page links online parent education course providers but does not say when the course is required. Lake has a self-help office.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Marion County
5th Circuit self-help page: pretrial statement forms are posted for dissolution with parenting issues and without children’s issues, and self-represented parties who filed a family case on or after October 1, 2022 must file a Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address form. The page links online parent education course providers but does not say when the course is required. Marion has a self-help office.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Miami-Dade County
The Clerk lists $409 for dissolution of marriage, $2.50 for each defendant beyond five, and a $25 payment plan fee. Family cases use a Family Cover Sheet and the Clerk’s ePortal, and the Clerk’s page links Form 12.915 (designation of mailing and e-mail address) and a 20-day summons. A separate Simplified Divorces page exists.
Who to contact: Clerk of the Courts, 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33128; 305-275-1155.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Palm Beach County
The 15th Circuit family division posts local forms for dissolution cases, including Proof of Residency for Dissolution, Final Disposition, Support Information, Proposed Pretrial Statement, Testimony at Final Hearing, and Time Sharing basic assumptions and model schedules, plus local orders on guardians ad litem, parenting coordinators and social investigations. Several posted files carry older dates, so check that you have the current version. The page does not state a parenting course or mediation requirement; see the division’s instructions.
Who to contact: Family division: CAD-DivisionFI@pbcgov.org; (561) 624-6687.
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Sumter County
5th Circuit self-help page: pretrial statement forms are posted for dissolution with parenting issues and without children’s issues, and self-represented parties who filed a family case on or after October 1, 2022 must file a Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address form. The page links online parent education course providers but does not say when the course is required. The page lists Sumter resources but does not mention a self-help office.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-11. Tell us if this is out of date
Not listed? Your county clerk of court can tell you the local rules. These are general information from court and clerk pages, last checked 2026-11-11, not legal advice.
Serving the papers in Florida? Sheriff or a court-appointed or certified process server; not you. Deadline: 120 days. (As we read the rules on 29 October 2026.) See who can serve a divorce summons and whether you can do it yourself, and find Florida in our state-by-state serving table.
Stay current
We re-check the law. We will tell you when your state’s changes.
One email, and only when something we have published about your state stops being true — a filing fee that moved, a statute that was amended, a form the court replaced. No newsletter, no sales, unsubscribe in one click.
We use your address for that one purpose. We do not sell it, and we do not add you to anything else. Privacy
How we can help
Understand the house first. Then talk to someone who gets it.
The house is usually the largest decision in a divorce, and the one people are least ready for. Here is what we do, in the order that makes sense.
1. Start with the facts, free
22 states have automatic orders that freeze both spouses the moment a divorce is filed, barring either one from selling or borrowing against the property. Is yours one of them?
Plain-English guides on what can happen to the house, what an automatic order stops you doing, and how the tax rules decide what a sale is worth. No account and nothing to buy.
- The four things that can happen to the house
- Selling the house: who signs, and the tax rules
- Keeping the house: the buyout and the carrying cost
2. Know when not to call an agent
Often the right answer is to wait, or to talk to your lawyer or an accountant first. We say so plainly. An agent is the wrong first call if nothing is filed, or if an order restricts what either of you can do with the property.
3. Talk to someone who gets it
When you do need an agent, we introduce you to a local agent who has completed our divorce real estate training and passed its 20-question exam. Before any introduction we check the license with the state regulator (any unresolved disciplinary action is a no), the agent’s closed sales, and a review rating of 4.7 or better. The introduction is free, and you are free to say no.
Ask for an introductionHow we are paid
You pay us nothing. Agents are not charged for the training, the exam or the free resources. If an introduction leads to a closed sale, the agent’s brokerage pays a referral fee out of its own commission, not out of your proceeds. A place on the panel cannot be bought.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The Cusp is not a law firm.
Selling a home in a divorce: what to ask a local listing agent
Selling the house is often the largest single decision in a divorce. These questions help you judge whether an agent has done it before. They do not replace your lawyer, who should approve the plan before anything is listed.
- Have you sold homes where both spouses had to sign, or where a court had to approve the sale? How many, and how recently?
- Does filing already restrain a sale in my state? Check the 50-state table and ask my lawyer before we sign anything.
- Who decides on price changes and which offers to accept when we disagree, and how will that be written down?
- Who pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance until closing, and what does the listing agreement say about it?
- Where will the sale proceeds be held until the decree says who gets what?
- How will you handle showings, access and lockboxes if we are not speaking?
- Will you give both spouses and both lawyers the same information at the same time?
- What happens to the listing agreement if we settle, reconcile or the case is delayed? What are the cancellation terms?
- Can I have your fee terms in writing and the names of past clients who sold during a divorce?