Florida Divorce Forms: What to File and Where to Get Them

Florida divorce forms are available free through the Florida State Courts’ official self-help resources, but the packet you need depends on your children, finances, and eligibility for simplified dissolution. Start with the correct Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, then add the required financial, identification, parenting, and county-specific documents. Downloading or signing forms does not start your case—you must file them with the appropriate circuit court clerk and complete the applicable service process.

Where can you get official Florida divorce forms?

Start with the Florida Courts Help website and its family-law forms resources. Look for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms, which include instructions explaining who should use each document, how to complete it, and what additional paperwork may be necessary.

Next, visit the official clerk of court website for the county where you plan to file. The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers website can help you locate a clerk.

County resources matter because a statewide form collection is not necessarily a complete local filing packet. Your court may require a particular checklist, standing order acknowledgment, hearing request, or other administrative document.

Before downloading, check:

• The source: Use court or clerk resources rather than an unverified document-sharing site.
• The revision: Download the version currently provided by the official source.
• The instructions: Read these before completing the form, not just before signing.
• The local checklist: Confirm what your county requires at filing and later in the case.

The official forms themselves are free. Filing, service, copies, and some clerk-prepared packets may cost money. A commercial website charging for document preparation is not the court, and paying it does not necessarily pay your court fees.

Which Florida divorce petition do you need?

Florida calls divorce dissolution of marriage. The initial petition identifies the type of case and the relief you want the court to grant.

Your situation	Official petition	Important distinction
You both meet all simplified-dissolution requirements	Form 12.901(a), Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage	Agreement alone does not establish eligibility.
You have dependent or minor children together	Form 12.901(b)(1), Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren)	Parenting and child-support documents will generally also be needed.
You have property or debts but no dependent or minor children together	Form 12.901(b)(2), Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with Property but No Dependent or Minor Child(ren)	This is a regular dissolution case, even if you agree on everything.
You have no dependent or minor children together and no property or debts to divide	Form 12.901(b)(3), Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with No Dependent or Minor Child(ren) or Property	Read the instructions carefully, especially if either spouse wants alimony.

When is simplified dissolution appropriate?

Simplified dissolution generally requires that you both want the divorce, have no minor or dependent children together, and neither spouse is pregnant. You must agree on dividing assets and obligations, neither spouse may seek alimony, and at least one spouse must satisfy Florida’s residency requirement.

You must also accept the procedural limitations described in the instructions, including giving up trial and appeal rights, and both be willing to attend the final hearing as required by the court.

Do not choose simplified dissolution merely because your marriage was short or you own little property. If you need financial investigation, disagree about debts, or cannot participate jointly, a regular dissolution case may be more appropriate.

What if you agree but have children?

You can pursue an uncontested regular dissolution with children. “Uncontested” means you have resolved the issues; it does not make you eligible for the simplified petition.

Pregnancy, disputed parentage, adult dependent children, or children born during the marriage whose parentage is uncertain require additional care. Ask a local divorce attorney which petition and related pleadings fit your circumstances.

What other forms commonly accompany the petition?

Your petition is only one part of the paperwork. Some documents open the case, while others establish finances, record agreements, or prepare the case for judgment.

Basic case-opening documents

Commonly required documents include:

• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases, Form 12.928. This identifies the case category and administrative information.
• Notice of Social Security Number, Form 12.902(j). Follow the instructions for providing sensitive identifying information.
• Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, Form 12.915. Review the current instructions and electronic-service requirements or available exemptions.
• Summons: Personal Service on an Individual, Form 12.910(a). This generally applies when formally serving a spouse in a regular dissolution case.

The clerk’s checklist should clarify which documents are filed initially. A simplified case follows a different procedure from a regular petition served on a respondent.

Financial affidavits and disclosure

Florida’s standard financial-affidavit forms are:

• Form 12.902(b), short form: For an individual with gross annual income under $50,000.
• Form 12.902(c), long form: For an individual with gross annual income of $50,000 or more.

Use your own gross income—not combined household income—to select the form. Gross income generally means income before taxes and other deductions.

The affidavit asks about income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. Gather pay records, tax returns, account statements, loan balances, and realistic monthly expenses before completing it.

Financial disclosure also involves exchanging supporting records. Those records are not all routinely filed in the public court record. The Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure, Form 12.932, documents compliance when applicable.

Whether an affidavit must be filed, whether a permitted waiver applies, and what disclosure is required depend on the case and current rules. Do not assume that agreeing with your spouse eliminates financial obligations.

Settlement agreements

If you reach an agreement, use the applicable marital settlement agreement form from the official collection. Different versions address cases with children, cases without children, and simplified dissolution.

Be specific. “We split everything equally” does not identify who receives an account, pays a loan, signs transfer documents, or meets a deadline. An agreement assigning a debt to one spouse also does not, by itself, release the other spouse from liability to the creditor.

Which additional forms are needed when you have children?

A divorce involving children requires more than listing their names on the petition. The court needs information about jurisdiction, parenting arrangements, and support.

Common documents include:

• Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act Affidavit, Form 12.902(d). This provides information about the children’s residence history and relevant custody proceedings.
• A parenting plan. The standard Parenting Plan is Form 12.995(a); other versions address particular circumstances.
• Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e). This addresses the support calculation using relevant income, parenting-time, and expense information.

A useful parenting plan addresses the regular schedule, holidays, exchanges, school arrangements, health care, communication, and decision-making. Do not rely on “reasonable visitation” if you need an enforceable, predictable schedule.

Parents generally must also satisfy Florida’s parent-education requirements, subject to applicable exceptions or court orders. Check how your county handles course approval and proof of completion.

Your proposed agreement does not automatically bind the judge on child-related issues. The court must evaluate the applicable legal standards, including the child’s best interests and support requirements.

If the children recently moved between states, get legal advice before assuming Florida can decide custody. Divorce residency and child-custody jurisdiction are separate questions.

How do you complete the forms correctly?

Begin with a consistent information sheet: both spouses’ legal names, contact information, marriage details, children’s information, and the assets and debts involved. Use the same names and case information throughout the packet.

For a new case, leave clerk-assigned information, such as the case number, blank until it is assigned unless the filing instructions direct otherwise.

Answer every applicable question accurately

Use “not applicable” where appropriate rather than leaving unexplained blanks. Do not guess at account balances or conceal an asset because you believe it belongs only to you. Explain uncertainties and obtain records when needed.

Read the requested-relief section especially carefully. Alimony, property division, parenting arrangements, and restoration of a former name may require an express request. A general request for divorce does not necessarily preserve every issue.

Sign using the required procedure

Some forms require notarization or signing before a deputy clerk; others use a different verification or signature requirement. Follow each form’s signature block. Do not sign a document requiring a witnessed oath before reaching the authorized person.

Keep a complete copy of everything you submit and everything you receive.

Protect sensitive information

Do not put Social Security numbers, complete account numbers, or other protected information into ordinary attachments without checking confidentiality and redaction rules. Use the designated forms and procedures.

If disclosing your address could endanger you, ask about available protections before entering it into publicly accessible documents. Ordinary divorce forms are not a safety plan.

How do you file and serve Florida divorce papers?

At least one spouse generally must have lived in Florida for six months before filing. You must also file in the proper county; residency and county venue are related but distinct requirements.

After confirming the correct court and assembling your packet:

1. Check the filing method. Ask the clerk about paper filing and self-represented electronic filing. Florida uses the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, but you should follow the clerk’s instructions for your case.
2. Pay the filing fee or request a determination of civil indigent status. Ask the clerk for the application if you cannot afford the fees. Approval depends on eligibility and does not necessarily eliminate every expense.
3. Save the filing confirmation and case number. Check whether documents were accepted or returned for correction.
4. Arrange service when required. Regular dissolution ordinarily requires authorized service of the petition and summons unless an appropriate waiver or other court-approved procedure applies.
5. Track the next deadlines. Filing is followed by response deadlines, disclosure obligations, courses where applicable, and scheduling steps.

Do not assume emailing the petition to your spouse is valid initial service. Likewise, an agreement to divorce is not automatically a legally sufficient waiver of service.

If you are the spouse who received papers, you generally need to respond rather than file a second initial petition. Read the summons immediately and review the official answer and counterpetition forms. The correct response depends on whether you agree with the allegations and need to request relief yourself.

What mistakes can delay your divorce?

The biggest paperwork problems often involve choosing the wrong process or leaving unresolved issues hidden behind vague language.

Watch for these common mistakes:

• Using simplified forms despite having children together or seeking alimony.
• Treating a signed settlement as a final divorce judgment.
• Missing required signatures, attachments, or local documents.
• Assuming the clerk will automatically schedule the final hearing.
• Forgetting that retirement transfers, deeds, and loan changes may need separate implementation documents.

Before requesting final judgment, review your county’s completion checklist. You may need a proposed final judgment, proof of residency, completed disclosures, course certificates, or hearing paperwork. Your divorce becomes final when the judge enters the final judgment—not when you finish the packet.

Divorce laws vary by state, and Florida procedures can vary by county and case type. A local divorce attorney can review your forms or advise on a limited part of the case, especially when support, safety, real estate, retirement benefits, or jurisdiction is involved. Divorcesify provides general information, not legal advice.

Key takeaways

• Download Florida divorce forms from official court resources and check your county clerk’s checklist.
• Choose the petition based on children, finances, and simplified-dissolution eligibility.
• Expect supporting financial documents and, when applicable, parenting and child-support forms.
• Follow signature, confidentiality, filing, and service instructions separately.
• Forms start and document the process; only an entered final judgment ends the marriage.