How Much Does an Uncontested Divorce Cost in Florida?

An uncontested divorce cost in Florida runs roughly $420 at the low end to about $3,000 at the high end. The only charge you cannot avoid is the clerk of court’s filing fee, which totals $408. Everything above that comes down to three choices: how the paperwork gets delivered to your spouse, whether you have minor children, and how much professional help you want.

The Filing Fee

Filing a dissolution of marriage petition with the circuit court clerk costs $397.50, plus a $10.50 judgment fee due later, for a combined $408.¹ The amount is set under Section 28.241 of the Florida Statutes and is largely uniform across counties, though small variations happen.² Check your local clerk’s website for the exact figure before you file.

This fee is the same whether you file a simplified dissolution (available only to couples with no minor or dependent children, no pregnancy, no alimony request, and full agreement on property) or a standard uncontested dissolution.³ Which track you qualify for affects the paperwork, not the filing cost.

If You Cannot Afford the Fee

Low-income filers can submit an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status to the clerk. If you qualify, the filing and summons fees are waived entirely.⁴ The application looks at your net income, government benefits, bank balances, and other assets.⁵ A waiver does not cover sheriff service, but it removes the largest single charge in the case.

Serving Your Spouse: $10 or $50

The court needs proof that your spouse received the petition, and the method you pick is one of the first places to save money.

Formal service through the sheriff costs $10 for the clerk to issue the summons plus a flat $40 to deliver it, for about $50 total.²⁶ Private process servers set their own rates.

Cooperating couples usually skip service. The respondent signs Florida Family Law Form 12.903(a), which acknowledges receipt of the petition and waives the right to formal delivery and to appear at the final hearing.⁷ The signature must be notarized, and Florida caps notary fees at $10 per notarial act.⁸ Cost: $10 instead of $50.

If You Have Minor Children: Add $50 to $120

When a divorce involves minor children, both parents must complete the Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course before the court will enter a final judgment.⁹ It runs at least four hours and covers co-parenting, how divorce affects children, and conflict management.

Each parent takes the course separately and pays their own fee. State-approved online providers generally charge $25 to $60 per person; in-person classes can cost more. Both parents must file proof of completion before the judge signs off. Parents who miss the court’s deadline can be held in contempt, which can lead to fines or restrictions on parenting time. Childless couples skip this requirement entirely.

How Much Help You Want: $0 to $2,500

This is the biggest swing in your total cost. Three options cover almost everyone.

Doing It Yourself

Many Florida clerk offices sell pre-assembled divorce form packets. Orange County, for example, sells a simplified dissolution packet for $15 and a dissolution with children packet for $20. Prices vary by county but generally run $15 to $20. You fill out every form yourself. Errors can delay the case or produce a judgment that does not protect your interests.

In a standard (not simplified) uncontested divorce, both spouses must also exchange mandatory financial disclosure within 45 days of service: a financial affidavit (short form if gross annual income is under $50,000, long form at $50,000 or above), three years of federal and state tax returns, and recent W-2s, 1099s, and pay stubs.¹⁰¹¹ A simplified dissolution skips this step, which saves work but means neither spouse has the legal right to demand a full accounting of the other’s finances before the deal is final. Requesting old tax transcripts or account statements may carry small fees of its own.

Using a Document Preparer

Nonlawyer document preparers fill out the forms for you based on information you provide. They cannot give legal advice. A complete package covering the petition, financial affidavits, and settlement agreement typically runs $200 to $500. Florida law requires a nonlawyer who helps prepare your forms to file a disclosure identifying themselves on every document they complete.¹¹

Hiring an Attorney

Many Florida family law attorneys offer flat-fee packages for uncontested divorces, typically $1,000 to $2,500. That fee usually covers drafting all documents, reviewing the settlement agreement, and representing you at the final hearing. An attorney also spots issues a form packet will not: retirement accounts that need a separate court order to divide, tax consequences of keeping the house, debts that could follow you after the divorce. For couples with meaningful assets, the cost often pays for itself in mistakes avoided.

Costs That May Hit Later

A few charges show up only in certain cases, but they are worth planning for.

Mediation If a Dispute Surfaces

Truly uncontested cases rarely need mediation, but if a disagreement emerges on even one issue, the court will usually order mediation before scheduling a trial. Florida sets mediation fees by statute based on combined household income:¹²

Combined income under $50,000: $60 per person per session
Combined income $50,000 to $99,999: $120 per person per session
Indigent party: no fee

Sessions typically run two to three hours. Couples with combined income of $100,000 or more are generally not eligible for the court program’s reduced rates and would pay a private mediator at significantly higher hourly fees. A single session adds $120 to $240 to the total for most couples.

Ongoing Fees on Support Payments

If your divorce includes child support or alimony paid through the Florida State Disbursement Unit, the clerk collects 4% of each payment, with a minimum of $1 and a maximum of $5.25 per transaction.¹³ The paying spouse bears this fee, and the court is supposed to factor it into the support amount when setting the obligation. On a $1,000 monthly payment, that’s $5.25 a month, or $63 a year, for as long as the order runs. This fee applies only in non-Title IV-D cases (cases not handled by the state’s child support enforcement agency).

Certified Copies, Deeds, and Name Changes

You will want at least two certified copies of the final judgment for name changes, refinancing, and account updates. Florida clerks charge a small per-page fee, usually a few dollars per document. If the divorce transfers real property from joint ownership to one spouse via a quitclaim deed, the county comptroller charges roughly $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page to record it, though county fees vary. Requesting a return to a former name inside the divorce petition costs nothing extra; the judge includes it in the final judgment. Waiting until after the judgment is signed means a separate legal proceeding with its own filing fee.

Realistic Total Cost by Scenario

Putting the pieces together, here is what an uncontested Florida divorce actually costs:

DIY, no children, signed waiver: $408 filing fee plus $10 notary, about $420.
DIY, with children: $420 plus $50 to $120 for two parenting courses, about $470 to $540.
Document preparer, no children: about $620 to $920.
Attorney flat fee, with children: about $1,540 to $3,040.

These assume your spouse signs the waiver of service. Add $40 for sheriff service if formal delivery is needed. Add $120 to $240 if the court orders mediation. And if the divorce includes ongoing support, factor in the 4% processing fee for as long as payments continue.¹³

1
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers. How Do I File for a Divorce?
2
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 28.241 – Filing Fees for Trial and Appellate Proceedings
3
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 61.052 – Dissolution of Marriage
4
Florida Courts. Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 57.082 – Determination of Civil Indigent Status
6
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 30.231 – Sheriffs Fees for Service of Summons, Subpoenas, and Executions
7
Florida Courts. Instructions for Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.903(a) – Answer, Waiver, and Request for Copy of Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage
8
Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties
9
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 61.21 – Parenting Course Authorized; Fees; Required Attendance Authorized; Contempt
10
Florida Courts. Rule 12.285 Mandatory Disclosure
11
Florida Courts. Instructions for Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(c) – Family Law Financial Affidavit (Long Form)
12
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 44.108 – Fees for Mediation and Arbitration
13
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 61.181 – Depository; Duty of Clerk