Florida Family Law Form 12.927 is the Notice of Voluntary Dismissal, the one-page document a spouse files to withdraw a pending dissolution of marriage petition before the court rules on it. The form is free to download from the Florida Courts website, and filing it tells the clerk and judge that you no longer want to proceed with the divorce.1Florida Courts. Notice of Voluntary Dismissal – 12.927 Form
When You Can Still File It
Under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.420, a petitioner can dismiss a dissolution case without the judge’s permission at any time before the case is submitted to the court for a decision. In a dissolution (a nonjury matter), that cutoff is the moment the judge begins deliberating after the final hearing, not the moment the final judgment is signed. After the case has been submitted for decision, you lose the right to dismiss unilaterally and would need either the judge’s permission or your spouse’s agreement.2The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure
One boundary matters before you file. If your spouse responded with a counter-petition for dissolution, your Form 12.927 only withdraws your own petition. It does not touch the counter-petition, and the case continues on the strength of their filing. The form’s own instructions include a bold warning on this point.3Florida Courts. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.927, Notice of Voluntary Dismissal For the entire case to end, both spouses must each file a separate Form 12.927, one dismissing the petition and one dismissing the counter-petition.
How to Fill Out Form 12.927
You can download the form from the family law forms section of the Florida Courts website or pick up a paper copy from the Clerk of Court in your county. Every entry needs to match what is already on file, because mismatches cause clerks to reject or misroute the filing.
- Court header: enter the judicial circuit number and county where the case was filed. Both appear on the original petition or any court correspondence.
- Case number and division: copy the case number exactly as it appears on your court papers, and include the division if one is listed.
- Party names: write the petitioner’s and respondent’s full legal names in the designated spaces, matching the original petition.
- Dismissal selection: the body of the form reads “I, {full legal name}, give notice that:” followed by two checkboxes. Choose only one. Box (a) is for the petitioner dismissing the petition; box (b) is for the respondent dismissing a counter-petition.3Florida Courts. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.927, Notice of Voluntary Dismissal
- Certificate of service: check the box showing how you delivered a copy to the other party or their attorney (email, mail, fax, or hand delivery), fill in the delivery date, and provide the recipient’s name, address, and email.
- Signature block: sign and print your name, then provide your address, fax number if applicable, and designated email address.
- Nonlawyer assistance: if someone who is not a lawyer helped you complete the form, that person must fill out the section at the bottom with their name, business name, address, and phone number.
Form 12.927 does not require a sworn statement under penalty of perjury. The certificate of service and the standard signature are the only authentication the form itself calls for; no oath or notarization is specific to this filing.3Florida Courts. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.927, Notice of Voluntary Dismissal
How to File It
The main filing method is the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, a statewide system that connects filers to every circuit court.4Florida Courts E-Filing Authority. Florida Courts E-Filing Authority First-time users create an account and select “Self-Represented Litigant” as the filer role during registration.5Florida Courts. Filing Your Forms Upload the signed form as a PDF, and the portal routes it to the correct clerk’s office based on the county you select.
If you prefer not to file electronically, you can submit the form in person or by mail to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the case is pending. Either way, complete the certificate of service section before filing, because that section is your proof that the other party received a copy.
Filing fees for a notice of voluntary dismissal are not uniform statewide. Some clerks charge nothing because the notice does not open a new action; others impose a small processing charge. Call your county’s Clerk of Court to confirm. The original dissolution petition filing fee is generally not refundable after a voluntary dismissal.
What Happens After You File
Once the clerk stamps the notice, it becomes part of the permanent record. The judge assigned to the case will review it and enter an order closing the file. Until that order is entered, the case may technically stay on the court’s active calendar, so do not assume everything is wrapped up the instant the e-filing portal confirms your submission.
Temporary orders that were in effect during the proceeding generally terminate when the case is dismissed. That includes temporary support, temporary exclusive use of the marital home, and the automatic financial restraining order that activates when a dissolution petition is served. If you owe unpaid amounts under a temporary support order, talk to an attorney about those arrearages before you file the dismissal, because whether they survive depends on the specific order and the circumstances.
A first voluntary dismissal is without prejudice, so you can refile a new dissolution petition later if the reconciliation does not hold. Florida’s rules add a consequence for repeat filings, though. If you voluntarily dismiss the same claim a second time, that second dismissal operates as a decision on the merits, which bars you from bringing it again.2The Florida Bar. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Family courts usually allow a fresh dissolution petition based on changed circumstances, so this rarely closes the door in practice, but it is worth knowing before a second dismissal.
Tax Filing Status If You Reconcile
If you dismiss the petition and are still married on December 31, the IRS considers you married for the entire tax year. Filing status follows your marital status on the last day of the year, so reconciling before year-end means you file as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately. Single and Head of Household are not available.6Internal Revenue Service. Filing Status For most couples, a joint return produces a lower combined bill, but either married option is open as long as you are legally married on December 31.