There are several ways to file divorce papers in Florida, including hiring a lawyer and doing it yourself (DIY). While DIY is cheaper, you may need to spend a lot of time researching unfamiliar legal terminology, filling out forms and paying fees. It is also a risky option as state laws are constantly changing, and forms that are filled out incorrectly or filed to the wrong court can be rejected and require re-filing with a fee. Lastly, new information may come to light after you file that could change the outcome of your case such as asset value or debt division.
For a divorce in florida online to be approved by the courts, both spouses must meet two requirements: one of the spouses must be a Florida resident and their marriage must be “uncontested.” Generally, this means that both parties have already agreed on all issues such as property division, alimony, child custody and support. Then, the parties must file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in their county circuit court and wait for service. The petition must be served by either the sheriff or a private process server, and once service is complete, the other spouse has 20 days to provide a signed and notarized Answer, Waiver and Request for Copy of Final Judgement back to the filing party and file it with the court.
After a period of 30 days, both parties can attend their final hearing in front of the judge assigned to their case. At this point, the judge will sign a final judgment of dissolution of marriage and send it to both parties.
Online Divorce Services
There are a few different online divorce services in Florida, but they all operate the same way: They prepare and file your divorce paperwork for you. They do this by taking your answers to a questionnaire and then using those responses to fill out the correct forms. Then, they make copies of the completed documents and file them and the originals with your local circuit court.
Online divorce services are normally much cheaper than hiring a family law attorney to do the same job and most of them offer a guarantee that your paperwork will be accepted by the courts. They also typically offer a much faster turnaround than trying to do it yourself or hiring a lawyer.
A Florida based document preparer (non-attorney) with over 10 years of experience helping people move forward from their marital difficulties. She is committed to treating everyone with dignity and privacy, and providing fast turnarounds without compromising quality. She specializes in uncontested divorces in all 67 Florida counties. She is a member of The National Association of Professional Document Preparation Specialists and The Florida Bar Association. She has an AV rating by Martindale-Hubble and is also a Certified Divorce Mediator. She is an advocate for ALANON and has helped many domestic abuse victims with their families. She believes in giving back to her community by volunteering with various organizations that help domestic violence victims and their children.