Online Divorce
in Florida

If a spouse wants a divorce in Florida and doesn't know where to start, they shouldn’t worry. OnlineFloridaDivorce.com offers a service to receive the necessary documents for the case within two business days.

It’s fast, affordable (definitely cheaper than a divorce lawyer), and super efficient!

Why is it great to use an online divorce platform? Here are its main advantages:

To get started, you need to complete a special questionnaire, which helps the system determine the specifics of the situation. Based on the answers from the questionnaire, the online divorce program will generate the necessary forms that are ready for filing.

You will also get detailed instructions on how to submit your papers with the court focused on a specific state.

We do our best to make this time-consuming process of preparing divorce documents understandable and straightforward for you and lead you throughout the whole procedure.

To file for divorce, the Florida Supreme Court recognizes the following legal forms in a no-fault and mutual consent divorces with no children:

If a couple has children, they may also need the following forms:

These are the initial and additional forms for filing for divorce in Florida. However, the documents may vary depending on the couple's specific circumstances.

1. Prepare the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage

If both spouses want a simple divorce in Florida, they mutually ask the court for a divorce and work together to prepare the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. Both of them are “petitioners.” In this case, the divorce is the most peaceful and the fastest.

Prepare the Summons for the Florida Court Clerk

Next, spouses should prepare the Summons. This is a document signed by the court clerk to enable the filing spouse to serve the second spouse, who is considered the defendant.

The petitioner must serve the ex-spouse with copies of all required documents included in the file by Florida state law. There are three ways to serve:

3. Prepare SS Affidavit, Non-military/Military Affidavit & UCCJEA Affidavits

Social Security Affidavit. The law requires the disclosure of social security numbers so that each party can request financial records from the court without undue court intervention.

Non-military/Military Affidavit. This serves as evidence that the defendant is a military member.

Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. If parties have children, this form is needed for custody and visitation of the minor children. This application must be completed under oath, even if child custody is not disputed.

4. Complete the Florida Financial Affidavit & Supporting Documentation

The financial affidavit will disclose the assets and liabilities of the spouses. Florida divorce laws require both parties to complete financial paperwork under oath within 45 days of filing for divorce, even if parties do not own property.

5. Get a Settlement Agreement

To get a simplified divorce, the spouse must sign a Settlement Agreement, which will spell out all issues related to custody, property division, spousal support, etc. The primary purpose of this document is to divide all assets equally and claim the fairest result for all points related to the dissolution of the marriage.

When a couple reaches a mutual agreement, a divorce without a lawyer is the most common option. Also, spouses can file for divorce online if the divorce is uncontested. When filing for divorce in Florida, there are the following options:

Divorces in Florida can be divided into regular divorce and simplified divorce. However, not all couples can use the simplified divorce scheme. For example, spouses can use this type of divorce if:

Before filling out divorce paperwork, spouses must make sure they meet the filing requirements.

Filing Requirements for Online Divorce in Florida

Since Florida does not require fault in a divorce, it may be considered in the process but does not matter when applying. In this way, the spouses do not blame each other for the dissolution of the marriage.

Instead, they can mutually agree that their marriage is "irrevocably broken," and reconsolidation is impossible.

To file for divorce online in Florida, one of the spouses must have lived in the state for the previous six months (residence requirement).

Florida Marriage Law requires couples who divorce and have children to complete a mandatory 4-hour parenting course before filing for divorce. The course aims to inform parents of their obligations towards their children during divorce proceedings.

After ensuring that all the requirements above are met, spouses can start filing documents.

In an uncontested divorce, where the spouses sign a Settlement Agreement and mutually agree on the terms of custody and division of property, a DIY divorce becomes the easiest, fastest, and most effective option.

So, where to start if a couple wants a DIY divorce in Florida?

Step 1. Choose the forms that suit the particular case.

Before answering the questions in the forms, parties must make sure they understand the terminology correctly. In addition, spouses should fill out the forms exceptionally carefully, as if there are any errors or inconsistencies, the court will reject the papers.

Once the paperwork is completed, it must be filed at the clerk’s office in the appropriate county or online using the Florida Courts' Electronic Filing Portal.

A spouse who files for divorce should follow clear instructions for the forms: they explain how to properly serve the other party (not required in all cases). It is also recommended to make copies of all forms before submitting them.

In case of any questions, parties can contact the secretary's office for up-to-date answers.

Step 2. Bring your completed paperwork to the court clerk.

Divorce must be filed in the county where either spouse lives or last lived together. Forms must be legally signed and notarized in advance. The application fee in the state of Florida is about $408.

Step 3. Take a parenting course.

If parties have minor children, they must attend a parenting class. Classes can be taken in person or online. Once complete, spouses get the completion certificate, which must also be filed with a court.

Step 4. Serve a respondent.

After the court clerk returns copies of the documents, a petitioner performs the serving service. It can be done with the help of a local sheriff in the county where the respondent lives or with the help of an authorized delivery server.

Step 5. Attend the court hearing.

A hearing in Florida can be scheduled no earlier than 20 days after the papers are filed with the court. On the appointed day, spouses should bring the rest of the divorce papers, answer the judge's questions, if any, and wait for the final decision to be signed.

If parties have common minor children, Florida marriage law requires them to complete a 4-hour parenting course to stabilize the children's family atmosphere and mental health. This course was created to teach parents working life hacks to care for children during this challenging period.

There are two types of child custody in Florida. The first type is called “legal custody.” It empowers the parent to make important decisions about the child's upbringing. This applies to education, health care, etc.

The second type is “physical custody,” which refers to the child's time with each parent. Please note that child support only counts physical custody. In other words, how the parents share legal custody will not be relevant to child support calculation.

In Florida, the calculation of child support is based on two factors. The first factor is the financial capacity of each parent. This takes into account the current assets of each parent and how much each parent earns. Another critical factor in determining child support is how much time the child spends with each parent.