October 3, 2026

Florida Divorce Without a Lawyer — the Official Forms, in Order

The general order of the official Florida divorce forms, from the petition through service, the answer, financial disclosure, parenting plan forms, and the final hearing, as the Florida courts' own instructions describe it.

Written by Jurisio with AI assistance. Each legal statement is cited to the official source listed below; Jurisio checked the quoted passages against those sources on October 3, 2026. Jurisio is not a law firm and this page has not been reviewed by a lawyer.

The Florida courts publish official family law forms, each with its own instructions. Read together, those instructions describe a general order for a divorce, which Florida court papers call a "dissolution of marriage." This page lays out the main stages and links to more detailed guides. The stages are numbered for reading, but they are not a strict filing sequence: some papers go in with the petition, some deadlines run from the date of service, and several steps can happen at the same time [2]. It does not say which path fits any one family. The instructions themselves describe which form is meant for which situation, and local procedures differ from county to county.

Words in this page such as petition, service, and default are explained in the Florida legal glossary.

Before anything is filed

The courts' General Information for Self-Represented Litigants says to read it "before taking any other steps to file your case or represent yourself in court" [1]. It explains the court system and defines the words that appear in bold and underlined in the form instructions.

Florida law has a residence rule: one of the spouses must have lived in Florida for 6 months before the petition is filed [10].

If someone who is not a lawyer helps fill out the forms, the instructions say that person must first give a Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Form 12.900(a) [2].

Step 1: The petition

"A case begins with the filing of a petition," a written request asking the court to act [1]. The person who files it is the petitioner, and the other spouse is the respondent [1]. There are four dissolution petitions, and each set of instructions describes when its form is used:

Form 12.901(a), Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage. Both spouses file it together, and its instructions list conditions that must all be true [4]. See the Form 12.901(a) guide.
Form 12.901(b)(1). Its instructions describe its use when the spouses have a dependent or minor child together or a spouse is pregnant [2]. See the Form 12.901(b)(1) guide.
Form 12.901(b)(2). Its instructions describe its use when there are marital assets or debts, no minor or dependent children, and no pregnancy [3].
Form 12.901(b)(3). Its instructions describe its use when there are no marital assets or debts, no minor or dependent children, no request for alimony, and no pregnancy [11].

The petition is filed with the clerk of the circuit court, who assigns a case number, and "A filing fee is usually required." [1] A person who cannot pay may ask the clerk for an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status [2].

Step 2: The papers filed with the petition

The regular petitions come with a list headed "With this form, you must also file the following" [2]. Not every item on that list has the same timing, as the notes below show. For a case with children, the list includes [2]:

a Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) Affidavit, Form 12.902(d);
a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e), if child support is requested (if the other spouse's income is not known, the instructions allow filing it after that spouse's financial affidavit has been served);
an Affidavit of Corroborating Witness, Form 12.902(i), or a photocopy of a current Florida driver's license, Florida identification card, or voter's registration card whose issue date is at least six months before the case is filed;
a Marital Settlement Agreement, Form 12.902(f)(1), if the spouses agree on some or all issues;
a Notice of Social Security Number, Form 12.902(j);
a Family Law Financial Affidavit, Form 12.902(b) or (c) (filed with the petition if the petitioner asks for child support, otherwise within the deadline counted from service) [2];
a Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure, Form 12.932 (if not filed with the petition, due within the deadline counted from service, unless the spouses agreed not to exchange the documents) [2];
a Parenting Plan, Form 12.995(a), (b), or (c).

The instructions set those deadlines at 45 days after the petition is served on the respondent [2]. The no-children petition, Form 12.901(b)(2), has a shorter list without the child-related forms [3].

Step 3: Summons and service

The respondent must be formally given the papers, a step called service [1]. To start, the petitioner completes a summons, Form 12.910(a), and a Process Service Memorandum, Form 12.910(b) [5]. "The clerk will sign the summons," and then a deputy sheriff or a private process server delivers it with the petition [5]. The instructions say: "You cannot serve these papers on the other party yourself or by mail or hand delivery." [5]

Service matters: "If proper service is not obtained, the court cannot hear your case." [1] When a spouse cannot be found, a method called constructive service may be possible, but the relief the court can grant is then limited and "cannot include either alimony or child support" [1].

Step 4: The respondent's answer

When personal service is used, the petition instructions give the respondent 20 days to answer after being served [2]. For constructive service, the instructions point to the Notice of Action forms for more information [2]. An answer admits or denies each statement in the petition [1]. The respondent may also file a counterpetition asking for something different [1]. If that happens, the petitioner answers it within 20 days using Form 12.903(d), according to the instructions [2].

A respondent who agrees and does not want to take part can file Form 12.903(a), an Answer, Waiver, and Request for Copy of Final Judgment. Filing it means admitting everything in the petition and saying there is no need to be notified of or attend the final hearing [7].

If no answer is filed in time, the petitioner may file a Motion for Default, Form 12.922(a) [1].

Step 5: Financial affidavits and mandatory disclosure

A court rule, Rule 12.285, requires each spouse to exchange certain financial information and documents, a step called mandatory disclosure [1]. The Form 12.932 instructions give a general deadline: the documents must be served on the other party within 45 days after the petition is served on the respondent [6]. The same instructions list exceptions and allow changes. The rule does not apply to simplified dissolution cases or to cases where the respondent is served by constructive service and does not answer [6]. Parts of it may be changed by court order or by agreement of the parties [6]. Temporary financial relief hearings have separate disclosure requirements [6].

Exchanging and filing are different. Under the Form 12.932 instructions, the other disclosure documents go to the other spouse and are not filed with the court without a prior court order [6]. The financial affidavit is the exception, unless the parties have executed and filed Form 12.902(k) [6]. When the Florida Supreme Court amended Rule 12.285 in 2023, it allowed parties to waive the requirement to file financial affidavits in certain circumstances, "although the affidavits must still be exchanged by the parties" [13]. Separately, the current Form 12.902(c) instructions say the financial affidavit form is used unless one of three situations applies: a simplified dissolution in which both parties have waived filing financial affidavits; the parties have no minor children, no support issues, and have filed a written settlement agreement disposing of all financial issues; or the court lacks jurisdiction to determine any financial issues [14].

Which financial affidavit applies depends on income. The instructions point to the short form, Form 12.902(b), for individual gross annual income under $50,000 and the long form, Form 12.902(c), for $50,000 or more [6]. See the guides to the short form and the long form.

Step 6: Parenting plan forms, when there are children

"If your case involves minor or dependent child(ren), a Parenting Plan shall be approved or established by the court." [1] The official choices are Form 12.995(a), the Parenting Plan; Form 12.995(b), the Safety-Focused Parenting Plan; and Form 12.995(c), the Relocation/Long Distance Parenting Plan [1]. If the parents agree, a signed and notarized plan is attached; if not, a proposed plan may be filed [2]. In a dissolution with minor children, Florida law requires the parties to complete a parenting course before the final judgment [12]. Unless the court excuses it, the petitioner must complete the course within 45 days after filing the petition, and the other party within 45 days after being served [12]. Each party files proof of completion before the final judgment, and the court may excuse attendance or late completion for good cause [12].

Step 7: Setting the final hearing

The instructions say a case "will then generally proceed in one of the following three ways" [2]:

Default. After personal service, the respondent has not answered within 20 days, a Motion for Default has been filed, and the required papers are in; then a final hearing can be set [2].
Uncontested. The respondent agrees with everything or files an answer and waiver, mandatory disclosure is complete, and the required papers are in [2].
Contested. The respondent disagrees and the issues are not settled. Before a case is set for trial, requirements such as completing mandatory disclosure and filing and serving certain papers must be met [9]. A Notice for Trial, Form 12.924, then tells the court the case is ready to be set for trial [9].

Hearings are set through the clerk, family law intake staff, or the judge's assistant [2]. For a hearing before a judge, notice goes to the other spouse with a Notice of Hearing (General), Form 12.923, and the instructions say it must still be sent even if a default has been entered [8]. The same instructions name different notice forms for a hearing before a general magistrate (Form 12.920(c)) or a child support enforcement hearing officer (Form 12.921) [8]. Some circuits require mediation or a parenting course before a final hearing can be set [9].

Step 8: Final judgment forms and the final hearing

Each type of case has an official final judgment form. These include Form 12.990(a) for a simplified dissolution [4], and Forms 12.990(b)(1) and 12.990(c)(1) for uncontested and contested cases with children [2]. The instructions say to check with the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant about whether to bring a final judgment form to the hearing [2]. The final hearing checklist collects what the official instructions say to have ready.

The simplified path is shorter

The Form 12.901(a) instructions list their own, shorter set of steps: file the joint petition, prove residence, pay the fee or apply for indigent status, complete a cover sheet, get a hearing date, and have both spouses attend the final hearing [4].

Questions

In what order are Florida divorce forms filed?

The official instructions describe these main stages: the petition and its attachments, service, the response, the required financial and parenting filings, setting the final hearing, and the final judgment [1][2]. They are not a strict sequence, because some papers are filed with the petition and some deadlines run from service [2]. Local procedures vary, so the clerk's office or family law intake staff can explain local steps [2].

How long does the respondent have to answer a divorce petition in Florida?

When personal service is used, the petition instructions say the respondent has 20 days to answer after being served [2].

Can a spouse be served with divorce papers by mail?

Not the petition. The summons instructions say the person filing cannot serve these papers personally, or by mail or hand delivery; a deputy sheriff or private process server does it [5].

When are the financial affidavit and mandatory disclosure due?

The Form 12.932 instructions give a general deadline of 45 days after the petition is served on the respondent, with the exceptions and permitted changes described above [6]. In a case with children where the petitioner asks for child support, the instructions say the financial affidavit must be filed with the petition [2].