Florida Divorce Resources
Official court forms, filing instructions, fees and fee waivers, legal aid, and safety resources — vetted and organized so you can find what you need.
Last updated June 21, 2026
Safety & Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 — available 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Florida law (Chapter 741, Florida Statutes) allows a person to petition the circuit court for an injunction for protection against domestic violence, and related statutes cover repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. There is no filing fee to seek a domestic violence injunction, and the court can issue a temporary injunction the same day if there is an immediate danger. A judge later holds a hearing to decide whether to enter a final injunction, which can address time-sharing and use of the home; injunction petition forms are available from the clerk and in the Family Law Forms (12.980 series).
- National Domestic Violence Hotline1-800-799-7233
Free, confidential 24/7 support, safety planning, and referrals for anyone affected by domestic violence. Call, chat online, or text START to 88788. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Florida's trilingual (English, Spanish, Creole) hotline available 24/7/365, connecting callers to local certified domestic violence centers for shelter, advocacy, and safety planning. A statewide DV legal hotline is reachable by selecting option 3.
- Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence (FPEDV)1-800-500-1119
Florida's federally recognized domestic violence coalition and a statewide network of certified domestic violence centers. FPEDV helps survivors locate a certified center near them; it is not a direct crisis-service provider.
- Florida Legal Services – Survivor Advocacy1-800-500-1119
Statewide civil legal assistance for survivors of domestic violence, including help with injunctions for protection and related family-law matters, accessible through the statewide DV legal hotline.
Official Court Links
Court Forms
- Open
Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage12.901(a)
Joint petition for spouses who agree on everything, have no minor or dependent children (and neither is pregnant), have divided their property and debts, and are not seeking alimony. Both spouses must sign and attend the final hearing.
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Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren)12.901(b)(1)
Standard dissolution petition used when the spouses share a minor or dependent child, or a spouse is pregnant. Requires a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule, and a parenting course must be completed before final judgment.
- Open
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with Property but No Dependent or Minor Child(ren)12.901(b)(2)
Dissolution petition used when the spouses have marital assets and/or liabilities to divide but no minor or dependent children and neither spouse is pregnant.
- Open
Family Law Financial Affidavit (Short Form)12.902(b)
Sworn statement of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. The short form is generally used when individual gross annual income is under $50,000. Required by mandatory disclosure (Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.285).
- Open
Family Law Financial Affidavit (Long Form)12.902(c)
Detailed sworn financial statement generally used when individual gross annual income is $50,000 or more. Discloses income, expenses, assets, and liabilities as part of mandatory financial disclosure.
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Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) Affidavit12.902(d)
Sworn affidavit identifying where each minor child has lived for the past five years. Required in any case involving minor or dependent children to establish the court's jurisdiction over time-sharing matters.
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Marital Settlement Agreement for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren)12.902(f)(1)
Written agreement settling all issues — property and debt division, support, and child-related matters — when the spouses share minor or dependent children. Used alongside a parenting plan.
- Open
Parenting Plan12.995(a)
Document required in all cases involving minor children that describes how the parents will share and be responsible for the daily tasks of raising the child, the time-sharing schedule, and how decisions about the child are made (F.S. §61.13).
- Open
Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage12.990(a)
The order signed by the judge that legally ends the marriage. Several variants exist for different case types (simplified, with property, with children); the court enters it after the required steps are completed.
- Open
Application for Determination of Civil Indigent StatusClerk form
Application filed with the clerk of court to request a waiver of filing fees based on inability to pay. The clerk determines eligibility using income and asset thresholds set by statute.
How to File
Florida divorces (called "dissolution of marriage") are filed in the circuit court of the county where either spouse resides, and at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for at least six months before filing (F.S. §61.021). The petitioner files the appropriate Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Form 12.901 series) and supporting documents with the clerk of the circuit court, generally electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. The other spouse must then be served with the petition and a summons, or may sign an Answer and Waiver if the case is uncontested. After mandatory financial disclosure and any required parenting course are complete, the judge can enter a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage. Local procedures vary by county, so it is wise to check with the clerk or the self-help center in your circuit.
Filing Fees
Dissolution of Marriage filing fee$408
Base filing fee to open a dissolution of marriage case, set by F.S. §28.241. A small number of counties add local surcharges, so confirm the exact amount with your clerk of court.
Issuance of summons$10
Per summons issued by the clerk so the other spouse can be formally served with the petition.
Service of process$40–$75
Charged by the county sheriff or a certified private process server to personally serve the petition and summons on the other spouse. This fee is paid to the server, not the clerk.
Certified copies$2 per page
Clerk's charge per page for certified copies of documents such as the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, plus a small certification fee.
If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may file an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status with the clerk of court. The clerk reviews your income, assets, and household size against statutory thresholds (F.S. §57.082) to decide whether you qualify. If approved, the filing fee is waived, though a determination of indigency does not automatically cover other costs such as service of process or mediation. You can obtain the application from the clerk's office or the self-help center in your circuit.
Legal Aid
Statewide online hub from Florida's civil legal aid programs with plain-language information on dissolution of marriage and a tool to find the legal aid provider that serves your county and case type.
Eligibility: Free to use; individual providers found through the site set their own income and case eligibility requirements.
- Bay Area Legal Services1-800-625-2257
Nonprofit providing free civil legal help, including divorce with and without minor children, paternity and time-sharing, and a family forms clinic for self-represented litigants.
Eligibility: Primarily serves Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota Counties; income-eligible residents, plus seniors, veterans, and disaster survivors statewide.
- Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida954-736-2400
Provides family-law assistance and advice to self-represented litigants in divorce, paternity, and injunction-for-protection matters, and partners with the 17th Judicial Circuit Self-Help Center.
Eligibility: Serves Broward County; income-based eligibility for most services (some trafficking-survivor services have no financial restriction).
- Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA)904-356-8371
Provides free civil legal representation in family-law matters including divorce, child support, time-sharing, paternity, and injunctions for protection against domestic violence.
Eligibility: Serves Duval and surrounding Northeast Florida counties; income-eligible low-income residents.
- Gulfcoast Legal Services1-800-230-5920
Nonprofit offering free civil legal assistance in family law, domestic violence, and related matters for low-income residents of the Tampa Bay region.
Eligibility: Serves Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties; income-eligible low-income residents and survivors of abuse.
Other Requirements
Parenting Class
Under F.S. §61.21, all parents in a dissolution case involving minor children must complete a state-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the court enters a final judgment. The course is a minimum of four hours and covers the legal and emotional effects of divorce on parents and children, family relationships, and co-parenting. You can ask the clerk, family-law intake staff, or the self-help center in your circuit for the list of approved course providers in your area.
Mediation
Florida courts frequently order or encourage family mediation, a confidential process in which a neutral, certified mediator helps spouses try to reach agreement on issues like property division, support, and a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule. Many circuits offer mediation through court-connected programs with sliding-scale fees based on the parties' combined income. Reaching agreement in mediation can reduce the time and cost of a case, though any agreement is voluntary and is later reviewed by the judge.
Financial Disclosure
Florida's mandatory disclosure rule, Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.285, requires both spouses in most dissolution cases to exchange financial information, including a sworn Family Law Financial Affidavit (Form 12.902(b) or 12.902(c)) and supporting documents such as tax returns, pay stubs, and account statements. This exchange generally must occur within 45 days after service of the petition. Limited exceptions apply to simplified dissolutions and certain uncontested matters, but accurate financial disclosure is a core requirement of the process.
Prefer not to navigate the forms yourself?
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