Simplified Dissolution St. Petersburg FL: $750 (2026)

A simplified dissolution St. Petersburg couples file under Florida Statute 61.052(2) is the fastest uncontested divorce path for spouses with no minor children and no alimony claims. Our firm prepares your simplified dissolution for a $750 flat attorney fee (court costs of about $408-$410 and notary fees are separate), filed in the Pinellas County Sixth Judicial Circuit Court.

What Is a Simplified Dissolution of Marriage in Florida?

A simplified dissolution of marriage is a streamlined divorce procedure created by Florida Statute 61.052(2). It uses Florida Family Law Form 12.901(a), the Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage, and lets qualifying spouses finalize their divorce far faster than a standard case. Instead of one spouse serving the other and waiting through answer and disclosure deadlines, both spouses sign the petition together and jointly ask the court to end the marriage.

Because Florida is a no-fault state under F.S. 61.052, neither spouse has to prove wrongdoing. The only ground is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." The simplified track was built specifically for couples who already agree on everything and want the shortest procedural route the Sixth Judicial Circuit allows.

The trade-off is that a simplified dissolution waives certain rights. By signing Form 12.901(a), both parties give up the right to a trial, the right to appeal, and the right to demand financial disclosure from the other spouse. For a genuinely uncontested case with no children and no support dispute, those waivers rarely matter. For anything more complex, the regular uncontested path is the safer choice.

Who Qualifies for a Simplified Dissolution in St. Petersburg?

Florida Statute 61.052(2) sets strict eligibility rules. A St. Petersburg couple qualifies for simplified dissolution only if every one of these is true:

• The couple has no minor or dependent children together, and the wife is not pregnant.
• Neither spouse is seeking alimony (spousal support).
• Both spouses agree the marriage is irretrievably broken.
• Both spouses have divided their property and debts and signed a written agreement covering that division.
• At least one spouse has lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing, as required by F.S. 61.021.
• Both spouses are willing to appear at the final hearing in Pinellas County together.

That last requirement is the one couples most often miss. In a simplified dissolution, both parties must physically attend the final hearing. If one spouse has moved out of state, cannot get time off, or simply refuses to appear, the case cannot proceed as a simplified dissolution and must be filed as a regular uncontested dissolution instead. Residency is proven with a Florida driver's license, voter registration, or a corroborating witness under F.S. 61.021.

Simplified Dissolution vs. Regular Uncontested Divorce in Florida

Both paths are uncontested, and our firm handles both for the same $750 flat attorney fee. The difference is procedural. The table below compares the two so you can see which fits your St. Petersburg case.

The short version: a simplified dissolution is the fastest divorce St. Petersburg couples can pursue, but it is only open to childless couples with no support claims who can both show up to court. If you have children, want alimony, or one spouse cannot attend the hearing, the regular uncontested path is required, and it is still efficient. Our uncontested divorce St. Petersburg guide walks through that standard route in detail.

Where Do You File a Simplified Dissolution in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg sits in Pinellas County, which is part of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Dissolution of marriage cases are handled by the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and heard by circuit judges assigned to the family law division. The Clerk maintains service locations in both St. Petersburg and Clearwater, and family law self-help resources are available through the Clerk's office and the court's website.

Almost all filings now go through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. Standardized family law forms, including Form 12.901(a), are published at flcourts.gov and are the same forms every Florida circuit uses. When our firm prepares your simplified dissolution St. Petersburg filing, we assemble the correct forms, e-file them through the portal, and coordinate your Pinellas County hearing date.

The Pinellas County filing fee for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is set by the local Clerk and typically runs about $408 to $410. That fee is separate from our flat attorney fee. 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 your local clerk. If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may ask the court to defer it using Form 12.902(a), the Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status.

How Long Does a Simplified Dissolution Take in Pinellas County?

Florida imposes no mandatory waiting period after filing, so a simplified dissolution moves as fast as the court's calendar allows. In practice, the timeline in the Sixth Judicial Circuit depends mostly on how quickly a final hearing can be scheduled after the petition is filed and the paperwork is complete.

Because a simplified dissolution requires both spouses to appear at a brief final hearing, the main scheduling variable is coordinating a date that works for both parties and the assigned judge. Uncontested final hearings are typically short. The judge confirms that the marriage is irretrievably broken, verifies residency, and reviews the property and debt agreement before entering the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage.

We describe typical ranges only, because the court controls scheduling and no attorney can promise a specific date. What we can control is the paperwork: a clean, complete filing avoids the clerk rejections and missing-signature delays that stretch DIY cases out for months. For a closer look at the courthouse side of the process, see our St. Petersburg divorce court guide.

What Documents Are Required for a Simplified Dissolution?

A St. Petersburg simplified dissolution uses a compact set of standardized forms from flcourts.gov:

• Form 12.901(a), Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage, signed by both spouses before a notary.
• A written agreement dividing property and debts. Many couples use Form 12.902(f)(3), the Marital Settlement Agreement for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage.
• Form 12.902(a) if you are requesting a filing-fee deferral based on indigency.
• A Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage for the judge to sign at the hearing.

One advantage of the simplified track is that the Family Law Financial Affidavit (Form 12.902(b) short form or 12.902(c) long form) is not required. The statute waives it. In a regular uncontested case the affidavit is required within 45 days unless both spouses agree to waive filing it by submitting Form 12.902(k), the Notice of Joint Verified Waiver of Filing Financial Affidavits under Florida Family Law Rule 12.285.

Every signature that must be notarized is a common failure point for self-filed cases. Notary fees are separate from our flat attorney fee and are usually modest. When our firm prepares your package, we flag exactly what must be signed, witnessed, or notarized before filing.

What Does a Simplified Dissolution Cost in St. Petersburg?

Our firm prepares your simplified dissolution St. Petersburg case for a $750 flat attorney fee. That is the same price in all 67 Florida counties, and it does not change based on where you live or file. The flat fee covers preparing your forms, reviewing your property and debt agreement, e-filing through the portal, and guiding you through the Pinellas County final hearing.

Two costs are separate and paid directly by you:

• The Pinellas County filing fee, typically about $408 to $410, set by the local Clerk.
• Notary fees for the signatures the forms require.

Compared with a traditional retainer of roughly $5,000 to $7,500 for a contested case billed by the hour, a flat, transparent $750 attorney fee gives an uncontested couple a predictable number up front. It is not the cheapest teaser rate you will see advertised, and we do not compete on that. What you get for the flat fee is full preparation and review by a licensed Florida attorney, not a non-lawyer typing service. For a full price breakdown, see our uncontested divorce cost St. Petersburg guide.

Should You Use an Attorney or a Form Service for a Simplified Dissolution?

A simplified dissolution looks simple on paper, which is exactly why couples sometimes underestimate it. Online form services and non-lawyer document-preparation companies can populate a Form 12.901(a) for you, but by law they cannot give legal advice, cannot tell you whether you actually qualify under F.S. 61.052(2), and cannot catch a substantive error in your property agreement before it becomes a signed judgment.

This matters because the simplified track waives your right to appeal. Once the judge signs the Final Judgment, an omitted asset, a vague debt clause, or a mistaken eligibility assumption is very hard to fix. A licensed Florida attorney reviews whether simplified dissolution is truly the right path, confirms your agreement covers property and debts completely, and answers the legal questions a form service is prohibited from touching.

We are not telling you a lawyer is legally required. Florida lets you file pro se. But when full attorney preparation and review costs a flat $750, the value calculus for most uncontested couples is straightforward: pay a predictable fee, file it right the first time, and avoid the rejections and re-signings that plague DIY filings.

When Is Your Case Too Complex for a Simplified Dissolution?

Some cases that feel uncontested do not qualify for the simplified track and sometimes are not truly uncontested at all. Your case is not a simplified dissolution if any of these apply:

• You have minor or dependent children together, or the wife is pregnant. F.S. 61.13 requires a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule, which the simplified form cannot handle.
• Either spouse is requesting alimony. F.S. 61.08 support claims fall outside simplified dissolution.
• One spouse cannot or will not attend the final hearing.
• You disagree about how to split property or debts. Equitable distribution under F.S. 61.075 requires resolution before the case is uncontested.

If you have children but agree on everything, you are still uncontested; you just use Form 12.901(b)(2) and a full Marital Settlement Agreement plus a Parenting Plan instead of the simplified form. Our firm handles those cases for the same $750 flat fee. If genuine disagreement remains, the case is contested, and the flat fee does not apply; contested matters need a different level of representation, and we are happy to point you toward the right resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

See the FAQ section below for detailed answers on cost, timing, forms, and eligibility.

This article provides general information about Florida divorce law and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. The Law Office of Antonio G. Jimenez can prepare your uncontested divorce for a $750 flat attorney fee (court costs and notary separate); contact our office to confirm whether your case qualifies as uncontested.