Cheap Divorce in Florida: How to File for Under $500

Cheap Divorce in Florida: How to File for Under $500

The average contested divorce in Florida costs $13,000 to $20,000 in attorney fees alone. But if you and your spouse agree on the major issues — or if you are willing to do the paperwork yourself — you can complete a Florida divorce for under $500 in total.

The Minimum Court Costs

No matter how you file, the state charges these fees:

• Filing fee: $400 to $410 (varies by county — $397.50 in Lake and Manatee counties, $409 in Broward)
• Summons issuance: $10 (only needed for regular dissolution, not simplified)
• Service of process: $40 to $100 (county sheriff) or $0 if your spouse signs a waiver
• E-filing convenience fee: 3.5% on credit cards, $5 flat for electronic check

That means the absolute minimum for a simplified dissolution is roughly $405. A regular uncontested case with sheriff service runs about $460.

Fee Waivers for Low-Income Filers

If your household income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, you can apply for a full fee waiver by filing a Civil Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status under Fla. Stat. § 57.082. If approved by the clerk, your filing and summons fees are waived entirely. Other costs (copies, transcripts) can be deferred through a $25 payment plan.

DIY Filing vs Online Divorce Services

Filing yourself (pro se): Total cost of roughly $405 to $500. Florida's Supreme Court provides every required form for free at flcourts.gov. You fill them out, file through the e-filing portal (myflcourtaccess.com), and handle service and hearings yourself. The challenge is knowing which forms to use, what order to file them, and which deadlines to track — courthouse staff are legally prohibited from giving you that guidance.

3StepDivorce: $299 flat fee (or $84/month for four months). Generates filled-in forms based on your answers. No refunds once you access the portal. Does not cover courthouse logistics, final hearing steps, or local county variations.

LegalZoom: Starts at $150 to $249 for basic document prep. But their plans often include auto-renewing $49/month attorney subscriptions, pushing first-year costs above $1,000 if you forget to cancel. Forms are template-based and may miss Florida-specific requirements.

Divorce.com: $499 to $1,999 depending on the package. The premium tiers include attorney review, but the basic plan is pure document generation.

Private attorney (uncontested): $2,500 to $5,000 flat fee in most Florida markets. Hourly rates run $225 to $600 depending on the metro area.

The Real Cost of Doing It Wrong

The cheapest filing option is only cheap if you get it right the first time. Filing the wrong petition form means refiling and repaying the filing fee. Missing the 45-day financial disclosure deadline can trigger sanctions. Serving your spouse improperly means starting the 120-day service clock over. Each mistake adds $400 or more in re-filing costs plus weeks of delay.

Where a Process Guide Fits

The forms are free, but navigating the filing sequence is the hard part. The Florida Divorce Filing Process Guide costs a fraction of what online document services charge and focuses specifically on the part those services skip: which forms to file, in what order, by which deadlines, at which county office — so you avoid the costly mistakes that make a "cheap" divorce expensive.

See more Florida guides →