Simplified Divorce in Florida

Question: What is the fastest and least burdensome way to divorce in Florida?

‍Answer: Fast Florida Divorce’s extra simplified divorce process.
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‍Question: What about Simplified Divorce? My friend said she did a simplified divorce.
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‍Answer: Florida does have a Simplified Divorce option; however, that process requires two court appearances by both spouses. The following requirements must be met to qualify for a simplified divorce, and the ones in bold apply only to Simplified Divorce:

• You and your spouse must agree that the marriage cannot be saved.

• You and your spouse have no minor or dependent child(ren) together, the wife does not have any minor or dependent children born during the marriage, and the wife is not now pregnant.

• You and your spouse have worked out how the two of you will divide the things that you both own (your assets) and who will pay what part of the money you both owe (your liabilities), and you are both satisfied with this division.

• You are not seeking support (alimony) from your spouse, and vice versa.

• You are willing to give up your right to trial and appeal.

• You and your spouse are both willing to go into the clerk’s office to sign the petition (not necessarily together).

• You and your spouse are both willing to go to the final hearing (at the same time).

Question: So what are the advantages of a Simplified Divorce?

Answer: The Simplified Divorce was created in Florida to allow for certain couples to complete their divorce case more quickly than a regular divorce. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. Additionally, the Simplified Divorce requires both spouses to go to the courthouse twice. In reality, not all counties are able to process Simplified Divorces as quickly as originally planned. Some counties can take longer than two months to complete these Simplified Divorces because they are so busy.

This chart may be helpful:

Question: I have read that there are benefits to filing in my local county. Do you know what those benefits are, and when it might be better than filing with Fast Florida Divorce’s special Circuit Court?

Answer: Yes. If you and your spouse aren’t in agreement, or you aren’t sure if your spouse will agree to sign the paperwork, or you do not know the whereabouts of your spouse, then it will be better to file in your local Circuit Court. You will want to be in your local Circuit Court in the situations where you are likely to have to make multiple trips to the court and/or use a local attorney to assist you with your divorce.

Question: Will it cost me more to file in my local county?

Answer: No, the costs that you pay to the Circuit Court will be the same in any county. The increased costs that you may incur will be indirect ones. If you file in your local county, then you will have to file the paperwork and possibly go to the courthouse during the workday, and you might have to take time off of work. (If you file a Simplified Divorce, then you will have to go to the courthouse twice.) You may have additional costs associated with traveling to the courthouse. You will also have the emotional cost that comes with the stress of handling the matter on your own. One intangible we offer is peace of mind.

Question: Can Fast Florida Divorce prepare a case for filing in my local county?

Answer: Yes. We offer two services for all Circuit courts in Florida.

1. We offer our Regular Agreed Divorce service prepared in your local county (or the local county of your spouse) for $245. The cost is $245 instead of $195 because we spend additional time reviewing the local court’s rules and procedures to ensure that your documents are correct for your particular Circuit Court.

2. We also offer a Case Initiation Only service for $99. With this option, we only prepare the documents you need to start your case in your local Circuit Court. Once you have started your case, you can then follow the rules of your local court to properly notify your spouse (service of process) or pursue the missing spouse option if you do not know where your spouse is (divorce by publication).