How to File Uncontested Divorce in St. Petersburg FL: $750

To file an uncontested divorce in St. Petersburg, you file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court (Sixth Judicial Circuit) through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. One spouse must meet Florida's 6-month residency requirement (F.S. 61.021). Our firm prepares the full case for a $750 flat attorney fee; the Pinellas filing fee (about $408-$410) and notary are separate.

What Is an Uncontested Divorce in St. Petersburg?

An uncontested divorce means you and your spouse agree on every issue in your case: how you divide property and debts, time-sharing and a parenting plan if you have children, child support, and alimony. When spouses agree on all of these terms in writing, the court can grant the divorce without a trial, which is faster and far less expensive than a contested case.

Florida is a no-fault state under F.S. 61.052. You do not have to prove your spouse did anything wrong. The only ground for divorce is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." You also do not need your spouse's permission to end the marriage, and Florida has no mandatory waiting period after filing before a judgment can be entered.

If you and your spouse cannot agree on even one issue, the case is legally contested and the flat fee does not apply. In that situation, most Florida circuits require mediation before a judge will hear the dispute. Some couples who start out disagreeing eventually reach agreement; if that describes you, read our guide on converting a contested divorce to uncontested in Florida.

Where Do You File for Divorce in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is in Pinellas County, which sits in Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit (Pinellas and Pasco counties). Dissolution of marriage cases are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller for Pinellas County. St. Petersburg residents typically use the St. Petersburg Judicial Building at 545 First Avenue North, St. Petersburg, though the county's main civil courthouse is in Clearwater.

Under F.S. 61.021, at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for 6 months before filing. You prove residency with a Florida driver's license, a Florida voter registration card, or the sworn testimony of a corroborating witness who is a Florida resident. Venue is proper in Pinellas County when either spouse lives here.

Almost all Florida divorce documents are filed electronically. To file uncontested divorce St. Petersburg paperwork, you register at the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) and submit your petition to the Pinellas County Clerk of Court divorce queue. The Pinellas Clerk and the Sixth Circuit also publish family law self-help resources, and standardized forms are available statewide at flcourts.gov. When our firm handles your case, we prepare and e-file the documents for you so you do not have to navigate the portal alone.

Which Uncontested Divorce Path Fits Your Case?

Florida offers two uncontested routes. Choosing the right one is the first substantive decision in your case, because it controls which forms you file and whether both spouses must appear in court.

Simplified Dissolution of Marriage

Simplified dissolution under F.S. 61.052(2) is the fastest path, but it has strict eligibility rules. You may only use it if all of the following are true: you have no minor or dependent children together and the wife is not pregnant; neither spouse is seeking alimony; you both agree on how to divide your property and debts; and both spouses are willing to appear together at the final hearing. You file a Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage (Form 12.901(a)) and a Marital Settlement Agreement for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage (Form 12.902(f)(3)).

The trade-off: simplified dissolution waives your right to a trial and your right to financial disclosure from your spouse. If you are confident you know your spouse's finances and your situation is genuinely simple, it works well.

Regular Uncontested Dissolution

Regular uncontested dissolution is used when you have minor children, when alimony is involved, or when one spouse cannot attend the final hearing. You file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with Property But No Dependent or Minor Children (Form 12.901(b)(1)) or, if you have children, Form 12.901(b)(2). The agreement is memorialized in a written Marital Settlement Agreement, and if you have children you also file a Parenting Plan.

Comparison: Simplified vs. Regular Uncontested

The $750 flat attorney fee is the same statewide and the same for both paths. If you are unsure which route applies, our related overview of an uncontested divorce in St. Petersburg walks through the choice in more detail.

How Do You File Uncontested Divorce in St. Petersburg, Step by Step?

Here is the typical sequence to file uncontested divorce St. Petersburg cases from start to final judgment:

When our firm prepares your case, we handle drafting, review your Marital Settlement Agreement and Parenting Plan for completeness, and answer your legal questions along the way. That is the core difference between full representation by a licensed Florida attorney and a non-lawyer document-preparation service, which cannot give legal advice or catch a substantive error in your agreement.

What Does the Marital Settlement Agreement Have to Cover?

The Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) is the centerpiece of most uncontested cases. It is the binding contract the judge reviews and incorporates into your Final Judgment. A complete MSA addresses each of the following:

• Division of marital property. Florida uses equitable distribution under F.S. 61.075, which divides marital assets and debts fairly, though not necessarily 50/50. Property acquired during the marriage is generally marital regardless of whose name is on the title.
• Division of debts. Credit cards, loans, and mortgages are allocated between the spouses.
• Time-sharing and parenting plan. For couples with children, F.S. 61.13 requires a parenting plan setting out each parent's schedule and how decisions about education, healthcare, and activities are made. Florida uses "time-sharing" and "parental responsibility," not "custody."
• Child support. Calculated under Florida's guidelines in F.S. 61.30.
• Alimony. F.S. 61.08 authorizes bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational alimony. Spouses may agree to waive alimony entirely in the MSA.

An incomplete or vague MSA is one of the most common reasons an otherwise simple case gets delayed. This is exactly where attorney preparation adds value.

How Much Does It Cost to File Uncontested Divorce in St. Petersburg?

Our firm prepares an uncontested Florida divorce for a $750 flat attorney fee, and that price is the same in St. Petersburg as it is in every one of Florida's 67 counties. There is no hourly billing and no surprise invoice. Court costs and notary fees are separate and paid by you.

Court filing fees are set by each county clerk and are separate from our flat attorney fee. As of August 2026, verify the current amount with the Pinellas County Clerk of Court. If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may ask the court to defer it by filing an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status (Form 12.902(a)). For a deeper cost breakdown, see our detailed St. Petersburg uncontested divorce cost guide.

By contrast, a traditional contested divorce with hourly attorneys commonly runs $5,000 to $7,500 or more per side once retainers and litigation are added. A flat, transparent, statewide fee with court costs disclosed up front is the value proposition here, not a race to the lowest teaser rate.

How Long Does an Uncontested Divorce Take in St. Petersburg?

There is no mandatory statutory waiting period in Florida, so an uncontested case moves as quickly as the paperwork and the court's calendar allow. Many uncontested cases in the Sixth Judicial Circuit reach final judgment in roughly a few weeks to a couple of months after filing, depending on how quickly both spouses sign, whether service is needed, and when the court sets your final hearing. The Sixth Circuit typically holds a short final hearing to confirm the marriage is irretrievably broken and approve the agreement.

The court, not the parties or the attorney, controls scheduling, so no honest lawyer can promise you an exact date. What speeds things up is having a complete, correctly notarized MSA and, where required, financial affidavits ready at filing.

When Is an Uncontested Divorce a Good Fit?

An uncontested flat-fee divorce is a strong fit when both spouses genuinely agree, are willing to sign, and have a relatively clear financial picture. It is often the right choice for short and moderate marriages, couples who have already divided their belongings, and parents who agree on a parenting plan.

Some cases are too complex for the uncontested path, at least until issues are resolved: disputes over a business valuation, hidden or dissipated assets (F.S. 61.075(1)(f) lets a court award more to the other spouse when one spouse wastes marital assets), disagreement over time-sharing, or a spouse who will not participate. If your case has one of these features, that does not mean you can never file uncontested. It means those issues need to be worked out first. Our firm can tell you honestly whether your case qualifies as uncontested before you pay anything.