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Divorce
Divorce cases are handled by our Family Law Department. The first step in a divorce case is to identify the type of divorce to pursue. The next step is to complete the appropriate packet and file it with the Clerk's office. The following resources may be needed for the process.
Divorce services are available at any of our three locations. Some services can be completed online. See the "DIY, Forms & Resources" tab below.
Please note, Clerk employees are not permitted to give legal advice, which includes identifying which forms should be used in any particular situation. You may want to research the Florida Statutes. It is also advisable to consult an attorney if you are unsure of how to proceed. If you do not know a lawyer, you may contact Lawyer Referral at 1-800-342-8011.
Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren)
You may file this type of dissolution if all of the following are true:
- You and/or your spouse must have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing for a dissolution in Florida.
- You and your spouse have a dependent or minor child(ren) together or the wife is pregnant.
Simplified Dissolution of Marriage
You may file a simplified dissolution of marriage in Florida if all of the following are true:
- You and/or your spouse must have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing for a dissolution in Florida.
- You and your spouse agree that the marriage cannot be saved.
- You and your spouse have no minor or dependent child(ren) together, the wife does not have any minor or dependent children born during the marriage, and the wife is not currently pregnant.
- You and your spouse have worked out how the two of you will divide the things that you both own (your assets) and who will pay what part of the money you both owe (your liabilities), and you are both satisfied with this division.
- You are not seeking alimony from your spouse, and vice versa.
- You and your spouse have filed financial affidavits with the court or you have waived the filing of financial affidavits and you are satisfied with the financial disclosure received from the other spouse.
- You are willing to give up your right to trial and appeal.
- You and your spouse are both willing to go into the Clerk’s office to sign the petition (not necessarily together).
- You and your spouse are both willing to go to the final hearing (at the same time).
Dissolution of Marriage with No Dependent or Minor Child(ren) or Property
You may file this type of dissolution if all of the following are true:
- You and/or your spouse must have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing for a dissolution in Florida.
- The husband and wife do not have any dependent children together nor is the wife now pregnant.
- You have no marital assets or marital debts.
- Neither you nor your spouse is seeking support (alimony).
Dissolution of Marriage with Property but No Dependent or Minor Child(ren)
You may file this type of dissolution if all of the following are true:
- You and/or your spouse must have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing for a dissolution in Florida.
- The husband and wife do not have any dependent children together nor is the wife now pregnant.
- You disagree about property, debts, or other matters, and wish to have a judge settle them for you
- Either you or your spouse is seeking support (alimony).
- You would like to ask questions and get documents concerning your spouse’s income, expenses, assets, debts, or other matters before having a trial or settlement.
- You would like to reserve your rights to have any matters reconsidered or appeal the judge’s decision
Do-It-Yourself Court Filings via TurboCourt
Utilize our interactive TurboCourt service to prepare your own divorce forms for Dissolution of Marriage with Children and Dissolution of Marriage without Children cases. This service will provide you with all of the needed forms and guide you through completing them.
Other DIY Filings
Checklist
The 10th Judicial Circuit Court website provides a checklist of forms and instructions that may be helpful for self-represented litigants. This resource is free.
Forms & Resources
The Florida Court's Self-Help Center provides a variety of forms that may be needed in Dissolution of Marriage (divorce) cases. There is no cost to access these forms.
The 10th Judicial Circuit Court website provides a few local forms that may also be needed as well as list of certified process servers.
Packets of forms and instructions may be purchased from our Bartow and Northeast locations.
A course related to divorce and children may be required before a final hearing is set. A list of approved course providers is available through the
Copies of divorce records are available by submitting a request through our Public Information and Electronic Requests system. Once submitted, you will be able to monitor the status of your request and will be notified about potential questions as well as when the request has been fulfilled.
Per Supreme Court order, images of these documents are not available online if they were filed after 2002. If your divorce was filed in another county or state, you must search the records in that county or state.