The Miami-Dade divorce filing fee is $409 to open a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, plus $10 if the clerk has to issue a summons so your spouse can be formally notified.1Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. Family Court2Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court. Fee Schedule That is the court’s cost to accept your case. It is not the full cost of the divorce.
What the $409 Pays For
The $409 is the same whether you file a standard or a simplified dissolution. It covers the clerk opening the case, assigning a case number, and docketing your petition. The extra $10 summons fee applies when your spouse has not voluntarily joined the filing and needs to be served with notice through the court.
The responding spouse pays a separate fee when filing an answer or counter-petition. If both of you file together in a simplified dissolution, there is no summons and no response fee, because nothing is contested and both parties sign the petition.
Service of Process Is a Separate Bill
Issuing the summons and delivering it are two different things. Once the clerk issues the summons for $10, someone still has to physically hand it to your spouse. The Miami-Dade Police Department serves process for $40 per address, and you need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request.3Miami-Dade County. Fees and Procedures for Court Services
If your spouse is hard to find or avoids being served, you may end up hiring a private process server, which typically costs more.
Other Costs That Catch Filers Off Guard
Budgeting only for the $409 and discovering a mediation bill two months later is one of the most common surprises in a self-represented divorce. A few costs apply depending on your circumstances:
- Parenting course. If you and your spouse have minor children, Florida law requires both parents to complete a minimum four-hour parenting course before the court will enter a final judgment. The petitioner has 45 days from filing to finish; the other spouse has 45 days from being served. A parent who skips it can be held in contempt. Course fees typically run $25 to $85.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 61.21 – Parenting Course
- Mediation. When spouses disagree on custody, asset division, or support, the court can refer contested issues to mediation under Florida’s family law rules. The mediator’s fee is split between the parties, and the court considers each spouse’s ability to pay before ordering it. Private mediators charge from $150 to $400 or more per hour; court-connected programs sometimes offer reduced rates. Mediation must be completed within 75 days of the first session unless the judge extends the deadline.5Florida Supreme Court. Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure
- Certified copies. You will need certified copies of the final judgment for name changes, property transfers, and other post-divorce steps. The clerk charges small per-page fees for these.
None of these are optional if they apply to your situation.
Fee Waiver for Low-Income Filers
If you cannot afford to pay, you can apply for civil indigent status through the clerk’s office. Florida law waives the filing fee and the summons fee for applicants whose household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.6Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 57.082 – Determination of Civil Indigent Status The application asks for your net income, other income such as Social Security or unemployment, the value of your assets, and your debts.7Florida Courts. Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status
One detail trips people up: the waiver covers the filing fee and summons fee only. Service of process, the parenting course, and mediation are not waived. Even with approved indigent status, expect some out-of-pocket expenses as the case moves forward.
Simplified Dissolution Costs the Same but Avoids Add-Ons
A simplified dissolution carries the same $409 filing fee, but the process skips most of the back-and-forth that drives up the real cost of a contested case.8Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. Simplified Divorces Both spouses must appear together in person at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center to file.
You qualify only if every one of these is true:9Florida Courts. Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage
- Both spouses agree the marriage cannot be saved.
- You have no minor or dependent children together, and the wife is not pregnant.
- You have already agreed on how to divide all assets and debts.
- Neither spouse is requesting alimony.
- Both spouses waive the right to a trial and appeal.
- Both spouses are willing to attend the final hearing together.
If even one condition does not apply, you need the standard dissolution. For couples who truly agree on everything, the simplified path avoids the $10 summons, the $40 service charge, mediation fees, and the parenting course requirement (since it requires no minor children). The $409 ends up being very close to the full cost.
How and Where to Pay
You can pay online through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal when you upload your documents.10Florida Courts E-Filing Authority. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal Miami-Dade adds one step most counties do not: if you are representing yourself, a Self-Help Program paralegal must review your documents for completeness and stamp them before you submit through the portal.11Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. Florida Courts E-Filing Portal The review is free and catches errors that would otherwise bounce your filing.
For in-person filing, both standard and simplified dissolutions are handled at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center in downtown Miami. The clerk’s office accepts credit cards, cash, and money orders. After successful filing, you receive a receipt and a stamped copy of your petition with the case number assigned.